FUN MUTATION ?

I acquired this Neofinetia falcata 'Gojo Fukurin' 御城覆輪 as a single growth last August. Year later, it started to produce new growths, three of them at the same time. While two of the three growth are starting to show mutation, but still unclear. One of the growth has shown a definite mutation, where instead of its regular marginal cream color stripes known as FUKURIN, it is developing NAKAFU or center stripe.

Although, 'Gojo Fukurin' 御城覆輪 is known to mutate into other striping patterns, nonetheless, it is fun to observe it first hand. It is especially exciting to see new developing leaves on these mutated growths and discover what they will grow into in the near future. To be continued ...

HIGH FUUKIRAN ON THE MOVE !

There has been a silence on my blog. The only explanation I can find, is because my FUUKIRAN are resting and

I AM MOVING TO FLORIDA !!!

Yes, a dream come true! I am very excited about the move and the new challenges and possibilities in growing FUUKIRAN and other Japanese orchids in a completely different environment. It's outdoors, it's with addition of rain water, it's with better temperature range and high humidity, and it's with employing more traditional techniques.

The climate, where I am going to live is similar to southern Japanese Islands and in particular Amami Island. Summers are hot and humid In Sarasota FL, but coastal location makes it a bit cooler and breezier, than in central Florida. Also the presence of two seasons - dry/cooler and rainy/hot/humid makes it very similar with Amami Island.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, USA

Average High Temperature Years on Record: 30   ANNUAL  JAN  FEB  MAR  APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG  SEP  OCT  NOV  DEC  F 84.6 73.9 76.9 80 84.6 90 91.7 92 92.1 90.6 86.5 80.5 75.4 Average Low Temperature Years on Record: 30   ANNUAL  JAN  FEB  MAR  APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG  SEP  OCT  NOV  DEC  F 61.7 49 51.8 55.2 58.7 64.1 70 71.9 72.7 71.5 65.2 57.6 52.1 Average Precipitation Years on Record: 30   ANNUAL  JAN  FEB  MAR  APR  MAY  JUN  JUL  AUG  SEP  OCT  NOV  DEC  in. 59.6 2.7 2.8 3.9 2.6 2.8 9.7 9.7 9.7 7.9 3.3 2.2 2.5

AMAMI ISLAND, JAPAN

Average High Temperature

Years on Record: 30

		ANNUAL		JAN		FEB		MAR		APR		MAY		JUN		JUL		AUG		SEP		OCT		NOV		DEC
F		76		64		63		67		73		78		84		88		88		86		79		73		67

Average Low Temperature

Years on Record: 30

		ANNUAL		JAN		FEB		MAR		APR		MAY		JUN		JUL		AUG		SEP		OCT		NOV		DEC
F		64		52		52		55		61		65		72		76		76		73		67		61		55

Average Precipitation

Years on Record: 30

		ANNUAL		JAN		FEB		MAR		APR		MAY		JUN		JUL		AUG		SEP		OCT		NOV		DEC
in.		124.8		7.9		8.3		8.3		10.3		12.6		16		9.7		13.1		10.6		12		9.1		6.9

I have big hopes that my collection will respond well to the change. This spring/summer for sure, will be a busy time for me!

Time permitting, I will be posting updates and notes of the progress. In 3-4 month my FUUKIRAN should start blooming in Florida!

INTRODUCTIONS ● NEOFINETIA FALCATA 'KINPOUZAN' 金峰山

CHARACTERISTICS: leaf span - 4.5 in (11.5 cm); jiku - dark purple; tsuke - crescent moon; ne - redish-brown*

FUUKIRAN 'Kinpouzan' 金峰山 or "Golden Mountain Peak" is named after Mount Kinpou, located between Nagano and Yamanashi Prefectures in Japan. This very striking, compact FUUKIRAN has wide gracefully arching leaves and contrasting genpei variegation. The green stripe outlines only one side of each leaf, leaving the other half yellow. The plant appears different depending at which side you look. It is a great example of FUUKIRAN that is admired for its foliage. However, this type of variegation is unstable and could transition to shima type striping. Let's hope not!

Can't wait for the spring, for the emerged second growth to start growing actively, in this, otherwise, very slow growing cultivar.

Neofinetia falcata 'Kinpouzan' 金峰山 displayed in a pot by Mizuno Shikao of Tosui kiln from Seto, Japan

The other side of Neofinetia falcata 'Kinpouzan' 金峰山 displayed in a pot by Mizuno Shikao of Tosui kiln from Seto, Japan

Striking variegation of Neofinetia falcata 'Kinpouzan' 金峰山

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* The characteristics used are of the plants that I own

NOMENCLATURE NOTES ON FUUKIRAN. CULTIVAR VERSUS VARIETY OR FORM

In my earlier article TAXONOMY NOTES ON FUURAN. WHAT IS THE REAL NAME?, I focused on explaining the evolution of the botanical scientific name (specific binomial name) for Neofinetia falcata, currently classified as Vanda falcata, also known as FUURAN in Japanese. The purpose of this article is to understand the nomenclature of selected "varieties" or "forms" of Neofinetia falcata like, for example, 'Tamakongo'. To avoid confusion, I will be referring the orchid of our interest in the "old fashioned" way: Neofinetia falcata.

First off, based on "Checklist of Selected Plant Families" published and edited by the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, there is no botanical variety or form currently identified for Neofinetia falcata. Variety (not as a legal term) and form are both the lowest taxonomic ranks, used after genus and species names. Two different varieties of the same species are usually geographically separated and have different enough characteristics, but will hybridize with one aother when crossed.

Second, let's understand the basic nomenclature of plants' scientific names. Please accept this very simplified explanation, as there is much more to it and will not be covered here.

A simple scientific name of a plant is compiled of GENUS NAME + SPECIES NAME + ORIGINAL AUTHOR + PUBLICATION. If the species name has been changed, the original author's name is placed in parentheses, followed by the new author's name, who made the taxonomic revision (shown in orange), followed by the source of publication of that taxonomic revision (shown in pink). In the examples below, notice how C.P. Thunberg's name moved to parentheses - (Thunb.):

Orchis falcata Thunb. in J.A.Murray, Syst. Veg. ed. 14: 811 (1784). was changed to
Neofinetia falcata (Thunb.) Hu, Rhodora 27: 107 (1925). , which was recently revised into
Vanda falcata (Thunb.) Beer, Prakt. Stud. Orchid.: 317 (1854).

If the species has a recognized variety, then the full scientific name is compiled as GENUS NAME + SPECIES NAME + VAR.VARIETY NAME, followed by the author's name (shown in blue) and the publication source (shown in pink). Example: Vanda lamellata var. remediosae Ames & Quisumb., Philipp. J. Sci. 52: 461 (1933).

If there is a recognized form, then it follows the variety name and abbreviated with "f." So, where does the name 'Tamakongo' have a place in all of this? To understand, we have to turn to the cultivated plant taxonomy.

"Cultivated plant taxonomy is the study of the theory and practice of the science that identifies, describes, classifies, and names cultigens—those plants whose origin or selection is primarily due to intentional human activity."  - Wikipedia

To deal with the name dilemma for man-made or man-selected plants, the terms group and cultivar were introduced. As I mentioned earlier, since there are no botanically recognized varieties or forms of Neofinetia falcata, the term cultivar is more appropriate for identifying 'Tamakongo' place in the name of Neofinetia falcata.

"A cultivar is an assemblage of plants that (a) has been selected for a particular character or combination of characters, (b) is distinct, uniform and stable in those characters, and (c) when propagated by appropriate means, retains those characters." - Cultivated Plant Code. Art. 2.2 Brickell 2009, p. 6

According to Hortax (Cultivated Plant Taxonomy Group), the cultivar name should be enclosed in single quotation marks with the first letter of each word capitalized. Unlike the scientific botanical name, the cultivar name is never written in italics. Thus, the correct horticultural name is Neofinetia falcata 'Tamakongo'. If a group of cultivars exists, the words in the group name have the first letter capitalized and the group name is placed in parentheses if used together with the cultivar's name. Neofinetia falcata 'Tamakongo' belongs to Mameba or Bean-leaf group, therefore its full horticultural name would be:

Neofinetia falcata (Mameba Group) 'Tamakongo'
or
Neofinetia falcata (Bean-leaf Group) 'Tamakongo'

Although, a simplified name like Neofinetia falcata 'Tamakongo' is acceptable and it could be optional to include the group's name.

There is one more necessary requirement in naming Neofinetia falcata cultivars. As for all Neofinetia of Japanese origin, their cultivar names are written in romaji for non-Japanese speakers, for example 'Tamakongo'. Romaji is a method of writing Japanese words from the Roman alphabet. There are several romaji systems in use, resulting in different romanization styles. Therefore, if the cultivar name is written in romaji, it is important that it is followed by the same name written in kanji characters. The same should apply to Korean and Chinese names. Thus, the final example and the most accepted way of writing the FUUKIRAN name in English based on Western botanical and horticultural point of view is:

Neofinetia falcata 'Tamakongo' 玉金剛 
or
Vanda falcata 'Tamakongo' 玉金剛 (for those who accept the change)

I encourage the use of the term cultivar instead of variety or form, to identify the many "faces" of Neofinetia falcata.

Any comments are welcome!

WHY FUUKIRAN?

I travel around the world to see orchids in their natural habitats and take others on orchid tours. I tremendously enjoy photographing orchids and write on occasion for the Orchids magazine, published by the American Orchid Society, but I haven't had an urge to keep any of them at home until now.

What changed? What made me single out FUUKIRAN of all other orchids that I know and like? The answer is not in the orchid itself, but in its packaging as a whole.

Throughout the past four centuries, the Japanese have kept FUUKIRAN for amusement and elevated it to a state of art. FUUKIRAN are beloved not only for their miniature demeanor and wide variety of forms, but also for the exquisite pottery that is designed to feature them and the distinctive way of growing them on top of a hollow mound of sphagnum moss. Following my interests about everything Japanese, ranging from apprenticing in the craft of SUSHI and "getting my feet wet" in SHODOU (calligraphy) to growing BONSAI trees and raising RANCHU goldfish, I now have entered the realm of FUUKIRAN. In fact, all of my avocations do have a similarity. They are all bound by the same need for precision, control, technicality and patience, sense of harmony and aesthetics - all resulting in creations worthy of admiration. The path and time I have taken towards mastering my skills, has ultimately affected the way I look at life and choose my priorities. I am looking forward to my experiences with FUUKIRAN and opening up to yet another traditional Japanese art form.

Part of my small FUUKIRAN collection

In the articles to follow, I will introduce members of my FUUKIRAN collection one by one. Stay tuned.

TAXONOMY NOTES ON FUURAN. WHAT IS THE REAL NAME?

This orchid was first scientifically described as Orchis falcata by the Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg, who was the first European to study flora of Japan in 1775. Since than the species undergone many name changes. Below is a full chronological list of its botanical names:

Orchis falcata Thunb. in J.A.Murray, Syst. Veg. ed. 14: 811 (1784).
Limodorum falcatum (Thunb.) Thunb., Trans. Linn. Soc. London 2: 326 (1794)
Angraecum falcatum (Thunb.) Lindl., Coll. Bot.: t. 15 (1821)
Oeceoclades falcata (Thunb.) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 237 (1833)
Vanda falcata (Thunb.) Beer, Prakt. Stud. Orchid.: 317 (1854)
Aerides thunbergii Miq., Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 2: 205 (1866)
Oeceoclades lindleyi Regel, Gartenflora 15: 70 (1866)
Vanda pygmaea H.Laurentius, Nursery Cat. (H.Laurentius) 40: 20 (1868), nom. superfl
Angorchis falcata (Thunb.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 651 (1891)
Angraecopsis falcata (Thunb.) Schltr., Orchideen Beschreib. Kult. Zücht.: 601 (1914)
Finetia falcata (Thunb.) Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 140 (1918).
Neofinetia falcata (Thunb.) Hu, Rhodora 27: 107 (1925).
Nipponorchis falcata (Thunb.) Masam., Mem. Fac. Sci. Taihoku Imp. Univ. 11(4): 592 (1934).
Holcoglossum falcatum (Thunb.) Garay & H.R.Sweet, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23: 182 (1972).

Important to note here, that in 1925 the orchid was classified as Neofinettia falcata by the Chinese botanist Hu Xiansu, with the name that became widely used and still is. In addition to Neofinetia falcata there were two more species included to form a small genus - Neof. richardsiana and Neof. xichangensis.

In 2012, after published in Phytotaxa new combinations for the genus Vanda by the British botanist L.M. Gardiner, this species officially became Vanda falcata, as it was proposed by the Austrian botanist J.G.Beer in 1854.

Despite the reasoning, non-botanists and non-taxonomists alike are reluctant to keep up with such often changing nomenclature. Thus Vanda falcata will still be more often than not called Neofinetia falcata among hobbyists and growers.

In my opinion, there is no right or wrong to call it either way considering that "nothing is written in stone" in taxonomy and nomenclature of orchids. For those of us botanically savvy Vanda will be the choice. For those of us more possessive of a good old name, Neofinetia will remain. And better yet, for those of us appreciators of this charming orchid, it will always be called FUURAN and FUUKIRAN, in respect to Japanese aficionados, who elevated this orchid to the state of art.

I will be using Japanese names - FUURAN, the name for the species and FUUKIRAN, the name for its selected cultivars. Also, despite being a botanist, I will keep using the name Neofinetia falcata for the time being.

NOT A BEGINNER, BUT A NOVICE

Orchids have been a passion of mine since the age of eight, yes eight! I became fascinated with nature early in my life and orchids amazed me with their unmatched diversity and adaptability. This interest deepened and prompted me to study biology at the Kiev State University, Ukraine, where I graduated with a degree in botanical science. I soon accepted a position at the botanical garden and ended up curating the orchid collection and cultivating hundreds of orchid species. My amazing career spanned for over twenty years. In the end, after eight years of curating the Display House and assisting with the Orchid Identification Center at the Marie Selby Botanical Garden in Sarasota, Florida, I decided to change my course and pursue photography.

Throughout and after my orchid career, I have been reluctant to grow orchids at home. Not expecting this to change, one day, I was reminded of Neofinetia falcata * with its mind boggling selection of cultivars. More so, for me being a Japonophile, Neofinetia falcata or FUURAN 風蘭 is not just an orchid to grow and bloom. FUURAN with its cultivars, known in Japan as FUUKIRAN 富貴蘭 has deep connection with Japanese esthetics. Much like with my other avocation of keeping and breeding RANCHU, a Japaneese veriety of goldfish (visit my High Ranchu Blog), FUUKIRAN requires patience and discipline, being a great subject of appreciation, both in and out of bloom.

Not new to orchids, but new to this 400-year-old FUUKIRAN tradition, I am looking forward to keeping this blog, sharing and promoting my fascination with this orchid. I also plan to cultivate and write about other traditional Japanese orchids like SHUNRAN - Cymbidium goeringii, CHOSEIRAN - Dendrobium moniliforme and NAGORAN - Sedirea japonica **.

Welcome to my High Fuukiran Blog!

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* Neofinetia falcata has been recently placed into Vanda orchid genus, thus it's current proposed scientific name is Vanda falcata.
** Sedirea japonica has been recently placed into Phalaenopsis orchid genus, thus it's current proposed scientific name is Phalaenopsis japonica