Breeding of a fragrant, multiflora Phalaenopsis by Neofinetia intergeneric hybrid orchid cultivar, ‘ Pinky Beauty ’

Abstract

The Chungcheongbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Service has developed a new intergenic hybrid orchid cultivar released under the name ‘Pinky Beauty.’ The marketable qualities of this new cultivar include an abundance of flowers, a good fragrance, and a relatively long flowering period. It was derived from an initial intergeneric cross between (Phalaenopsis pulcherrima x P. parishii ) x Neofinetia falcata ‘Hwacheon’ in 2007. The seed germination, cultivation, selection, and characteristic evaluation trials were conducted from 2008 to 2014. After selecting a line that grew well and had desirably shaped and colored flowers, its morphological characteristics were investigated, from 2015 to 2017, according to the survey standard for agricultural experimentation and research that is used for the evaluation of new N. falcata varieties. The selection had pink flowers, which were determined to be Red-purple Group 68D based on the RHS color chart, on a dark green stem. The length of the flower stem was measured on average to be 25.8 cm, and the number of flowers per stem was 16.3. The width of a typical flower was about 2.5 cm, and the flowers had a short spur similar to N. falcata on the back of the lip. The plant height was on average 12.7 cm, which is similar to the control cultivar P. pulcherrima, while the leaf width was 1.6 cm. The overall volume of the flower pot was high. The flowering time of the hybrid was in late May, and its flowering period was about 34 days. Furthermore, it had a noticeably pleasant scent. Due to this desirable combination of characteristics, the selection was released as the cultivar ‘Pinky Beauty’ in 2018.