Spring orchid varieties

1. Circle

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected by orchid artists from Yuyao, Zhejiang in the early Qing Dynasty. Also known as Lao Shi Yuan.

Features: The three outer petals are rooted in a circle, so it is named Jiyuan. Sometimes it blooms into plum-shaped narcissus petals, and the three petals are slightly oblong. The petals are five-petaled, with a small fringe-shaped tongue. The flower color is slightly yellow-green, the shoulders are flat, and the petals are thick. The flowers are dignified , firm and have a long flowering period. The old leaves are drooping, with blunt tips, deep veins, thick leaves and low foot shells. The bracts are green with a slight red tint. This type is strong, easy to bloom and reproduce quickly, so it is one of the most widely circulated varieties of spring orchids. It is one of the four famous varieties of spring orchids.

2. West Lake Plum

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected from Gong Maoxing Flower Garden in Huoyaoju Hutong, Hangzhou during the Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty.

Features: Three short and round petals with a narrow base, separate nests, semi-hard center, and small round tongue. Early flowering. The old leaves are sickle-shaped and thick. Bracts lavender.

3. Tianxing plum

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected by a flower vendor named Shen in the Yiyou year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty.

Features: Three petals with short legs and round heads, very wide petals, glutinous texture, particularly thick petal flesh, petal tips often with hooks, green color, flat shoulders, large tongue, and there are one, two, three, or four red dots on the tongue. The leaves are broad, semi-dangling, shiny and have blunt tips. Bracts are purple-red.

4. Longan plum

Petal type: plum petal

History: Elected by Zhu Xiangbao from Shaoxing. Also known as Sai Jinxuan.

Features: three short round petals, flat edges, flat shoulders, a closed back with a semi-rigid cup, a small cup, and bangs. The sheath of this flower is not fleshy, and when the flower shell breaks through, surgery is usually required - the "joint" must be picked open so that the flower can look straight and the petals can be flat. The leaves are semi-drooping, dark in color, and have a low foot shell. After flowering, it should be placed in a slightly sunny place, otherwise it will not be easy to bloom. When the plant is strong, the flowers are round with tight edges.

5. He Shenmei

Petal type: plum petal

History: Elected in the early Republic of China. Also known as parrot plum.

Features: Three short and round petals with narrow roots, separate nests, flat shoulders, and occasionally flying shoulders. The petals are in the shape of a Guanyin hat with a heart, bangs and tongue-shaped petals. The flower stem is not high and the color is not pure green. The old leaves are slanted, shiny and have blunt tips. Bracts rose red.

6. Tommy

Petal type: plum petal

History: Elected by the Tang family of Shaoxing in the early Republic of China.

Features: The three petals are round and large, with tight edges. The middle of the petals are slightly floating, divided into semi-hard cups, with flat shoulders, sometimes slightly flying shoulders, and a round tongue. The petals are slightly yellowish green, with obvious ribs on the three petals. The secondary petals are often decorated with sparse black spots like fly poop, which is a prominent mark, and the flower stems are relatively long. Bracts light red. The old leaves are semi-drooping, dull in color, thin in texture, and have low foot shells. The flowers bloom in the shade before the stamens and petals open, and the color is green.

7. Lucky

Petal type: plum petal

History: Elected by Zhu Xiangbao from Shaoxing in the early Republic of China.

Features: Three petals with round heads, long base, tight edges, green color, flat shoulders, semi-hard center, wish-fulfilling tongue, and slender flower stems. The bracts are green, the leaves are drooping, thin, with shallow veins and low foot shells.

8. Green Ying

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected by Gu Xiangxiao from Suzhou in the late Qing Dynasty.

Features: Five petals in a nest, three petals with large heads and thin roots, flat shoulders, moth-shaped petals, large Ruyi tongue, green flower stems, and the color is like green plums. Hence the name. Bracts dark red. The old leaves are semi-drooping, shiny, with slightly blunt tips, deep veins, thick leaves and low foot shells. It is one of the most widely circulated varieties of spring orchids. Flower health.

9. Ruimei

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected by Xie Ruishan from Suzhou before the Anti-Japanese War.

Features: Five petals are tightly round, three petals have sharp tips, separated into nests, with flat shoulders, bangs and tongues, the flower has a regular appearance and a long flowering period. The old leaves are arched, the bracts are light purple with green, the leaves are dark green, the leaf tips are slightly sharp, the veins are shallow, and the foot shell is high. It reproduces quickly and has strong flowering properties, making it one of the most widely circulated varieties of spring orchids.

10. Liangxi plum

Petal type: plum petal

History: In the early years of the Republic of China, it was originally selected from Suzhou and was not named at the time. It was later purchased by Yang Ganqing from Wuxi and renamed after the ancient place name of Wuxi.

Features: Three petals at the base, round head, a slight notch in the center of the petal tip, flat shoulders, large moth-shaped petal, round tongue, long flower stem, green in color. The old leaves are sickle-shaped, with shallow veins, thin texture and low foot shell. Bracts light red.

11. Song Mei

Petal type: plum petal

History: It was selected by the Song Jinxuan family in Zhejiang during the Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty, so it is also called Song Jinxuanmei.

Characteristics: When the flowers bloom in the plum-petal shape, the three petals are particularly tight and round, with moth-shaped petals and bangs-shaped tongues ; sometimes they can also bloom in the shape of lotus-shaped narcissus petals or plum-shaped narcissus petals ; if the orchid is strong, there may occasionally be twin flowers. Old leaves are mostly bow-shaped, with light pink bracts, dark green leaves, a wide leaf width and blunt tips. It is an outstanding variety of plum-petal type spring orchid, and is listed as the first of the four famous varieties of spring orchid.

12. Yuyao’s No.1 Plum Blossom

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected by Xu Ling from Yuyao during the Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty. Also called the first circle.

Features: Three short and round petals with thick flesh, and five petals separated into nests. Slightly dropped shoulders. Wish-fulfilling tongue. The flower stem is thin. The flower color is not pure green. Old leaves slightly sickle-shaped. The bracts have light red tips. The leaves are slightly thick.

13. Xiaoshan Caimei

Petal type: plum petal

History: It was selected by the Cai family of Xiaoshan, Zhejiang during the Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty, but was later discontinued due to war . During the Xianfeng period of Qing Dynasty, orchid enthusiasts in Ningbo selected a variety similar to Green Plum Su as its replacement, but the outer three petals are slightly narrower and harder than those of the old variety, and the flower shape is worse than that of the old variety.

Features: The outer three petals have tight edges, flat shoulders, and are mostly fully closed ( glued together with the column, commonly known as three petals and one nose ) . Tall thin stems. The color is emerald green. When the flower is slightly smaller in shape of plum, it is called Caimei. If the plum-shaped narcissus blooms, it usually has five petals in a nest and is relatively large, and is called Caimei narcissus ; because the lip petals are slightly white and green, it is also called Caimeisu. The old leaves are slightly arched, with slightly deeper veins, low foot shells, and green bracts. This flower changes from strong grass to thin, and most of the flowers bloom in the plum-shaped daffodil shape. After a lack of fertilizer, the orchid grass often blooms in the plum-shaped shape when it is thin. If the rubber grass becomes strong, good flowers will bloom.

14. Yumei

Petal type: plum petal

History: Elected in Shaoxing during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty.

Features: The five petals are short and round, with flat shoulders, short flat edges, a white tongue, and occasionally a slight pink halo on the cheek edges near the root of the lip. The flower stems are short. Early flowering.

15. Qin Mei

Petal type: plum petal

History: Elected by Jiashan, Zhejiang during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty.

Features: Five short and round petals with tight edges, separate nests, hard petals, wish-fulfilling tongues, thin flower stems, and flat shoulders. The old leaves are sickle-shaped, with blunt tips and light red bracts.

16. The first plum blossom in Yuanhu Lake

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, also known as Wan Zi.

Features: Three round and long petals with tight edges, flat shoulders, thick petal flesh, glutinous texture, emerald green color, small red dots on the petal tips, small Ruyi tongues, old leaves are arched, bracts are dark green, leaf veins are deep, and the foot shell is low.

17. Xiaodamei

Petal type: plum petal

History: It was selected from the flower cellars in Suzhou during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. A fight broke out between the villagers over the dispute, hence the name.

Features: Petals with short feet, round heads and flat shoulders, tight edges and semi-hard petals, round tongues, and slender flower stems. The old leaves are slightly sickle-shaped and the bracts are deep red.

18. Dai Mei

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected by Ningbo flower vendors during the Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty.

Features: Three round and long petals, semi-hard cup, small Ruyi tongue. There are usually two flowers on one stem ( stacked up and down ) , but when there is a lack of fertilizer, there may occasionally be one flower on one stem. The old leaves are arched, with blunt tips, shallow veins and thick texture. Bracts reddish purple.

19. Ji

Petal type: plum petal

History: Suzhou Sheng'aguan was discovered in Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang Province in the Jiashen year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty.

Features: Three petals, short and round at the root, flat shoulders, tight, divided into semi-hard petals, and round tongue. The flower stem is slender, with a water-red shell and a completely green tip. The old leaves are half drooping and have a thicker texture.

20. Yongfeng Plum

Petal type: plum petal

History: Selected by flower vendors before the Anti-Japanese War.

Features: Three tightly rounded petals, short legs, retracted roots, wish-fulfilling tongue, semi-hard cover, and tall flower stems. The old leaves are drooping and have sharp tips.