九華藝蘭天鶴
為草當作蘭
為木當作松
蘭幽春風遠
松寒不改容
唐 李白
Longitudinally, orchids have been cultivated far longer and earlier in the East than in the West. They have been recorded in various documents from the ancient history in China, including herbal medicine books more than three thousand years ago, the “Book of Changes” 易經 dating back to the first millennium BC, and the first manuscript to deal with botany in its entirety around 300 BC, as well as the oldest Chinese dictionary entitled “Shuo Wen Jie Tzi” 說文解字 (edited by Xu Shen, a famous Chinese scholar during the middle part of the Eastern Han Dynasty from 25 AD to 220 AD), in which the Chinese word 蘭 encapsulates perfumed plants prominently represented by orchids, especially the Cymbidium orchid, which is one of the classic flowers of Chinese and Japanese horticulture and art.
The East-West divide rests not solely in the encounters, utilizations and documentations of endemic orchid species but also in the morphological differences between Occidental and Oriental Cymbidiums, accentuated and consolidated over epochs, dynasties and generations by sociocultural forces more than by geographical factors. In other words, whilst globalization has distributed many orchid genera and species far and wide, the largest cultural (and horticultural) divide between the East and West in the cultivation of orchids nowadays probably lies in the Cymbidieae tribe. The typically showy and colourful hybrid Cymbidiums that appeal to Western growers are plants from (sub)tropical Asia with green leaves and little or no fragrance. In contrast, the petite and subdued Cymbidiums preferred and coveted by Eastern growers are the fragrant temperate species with foliage and floral chimerisms that arise from spontaneous natural variants and hybrids.
Oriental Cymbidiums (Asian Cymbidiums or Chinese Cymbidiums) have long been regarded by the Chinese as one of the four noble plants 蘭菊竹梅 (orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo, plum). In fact, they were deemed as the most precious of the four to the extent that they required special growing technique in pots with well-drained soil, which only wealthy and noble people could provide and enjoy. They were collected by the nobility (sometimes on behalf of the ruling emperors) from the high mountains and brought back to palaces, where certain natural variations of some species were favoured and selected for many generations to accentuate the desired traits and prized attributes in those species via careful divisions of the plants, which were grown in elaborate containers, and were often exchanged or given as gifts with visiting land barons. The value of such a gift was in direct proportion to the rarity of the attributes, and the status accorded to the plants were such that discussions about the orchids and their growing conditions would begin with a tea ceremony accompanied by burning incense.
After the Wei and Jin dynasties (220 to 420 AD), orchid cultivation expanded from the palace to the private gardens of the literati class, where they were used to adorn gardens and beautify landscapes. By the time of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 to 1912), descriptions and depictions of Oriental Cymbidiums have firmly established in various books, pictures, poems, porcelains and crafts.
The extra-horticultural and meta-botanical merits of Oriental Cymbidiums with respect to the position of these orchids in the Chinese history and culture can be gauged by its allegorical and heuristic representations in many prominent texts, both recent and ancient. For example, Confucius 孔夫子, the eminent teacher, editor, politician and philosopher in Ancient China (551 to 479 BC) stated:
芝蘭生幽谷,不以無人而不芳。君子修道立德,不為窮困而改節。
A solitary orchid adorning the side of a mountain perfumes the air even in the absence of any human presence or appreciation. A true scholar learned in morality and philosophy is always a noble gentleman holding firm to his high principles even in the absence of wealth or prosperity.
Confucius also referred to Oriental Cymbidiums as the “King of Fragrance” 「王者之香」, a phrase that is still in use today, having withstood the test of time and the rise and fall of dynasties.
空谷幽蘭
山谷中優美的蘭花。形容十分難得,常用來比喻人品高雅。
Beautiful, graceful, elegant, exquisite orchids growing in the vacant valley.
Figuratively describing something rare, commonly used to express or denote the elegance, grace, refinement, style or beauty of a human character.
In conclusion, under the rich Chinese cultural characteristics and heritage, Oriental Cymbidiums have come to symbolize elegance, grandeur, refinement, purity, virtuosity, friendship, nobility, patriotism, stoicism and spiritual perfection. They are known for their graceful leaves, dainty blooms and distinctive fragrances. Selective breeding, chance mutation, keen observation, perennial patience, meticulous cultivation and meristem cloning have produced startlingly beautiful forms in Oriental Cymbidiums, resulting in long-lasting fragrance, peloric flowers, variegated leaves and dwarf varieties loved by admiring fans and dedicated growers for hundreds or thousands of years in China, Japan and Korea. Many of them are grown as accent plants to be appreciated in the contexts of art, decor, poetry, caligraphy, painting, philosophy, Zen Buddhism, monasticism, Confucianism and Daoism, all of which are underpinned by various forms of aesthetic sensibility, spiritual ideal and cultural connotation. Some exemplary specimens are even considered as national treasures. The flowers are sometimes used as ingredients in soup, tea, alcoholic drink and certain food.
清香花美藝嬌的國寶
Strict adherence to proper growing conditions are usually required on an ongoing basis to maintain variegation and peloricity. Otherwise, reversion to undesirable types may be permanent even upon resumption of proper care.
For example, improper fertilization or taking divisions with single growths (less than two pseudobulbs) can cause the loss of variegation in the Da Mo varieties of sinense, which are special dwarf, compact forms named after the Zen Buddhist Monk called Da Mo (達摩). It is somewhat ironic that “monastic discipline” is required for the optimum cultivation of these cymbidiums.
Variegated and peloric varieties or chimeras can originate from the following Cymbidium species and their crosses. Habitats of the endemic species and natural hybrids include open woodland forest, evergreen lowland forests, montane forest, on the ground or on damp shaded evergreen trees. The elevation can be from the sea level to 2500 metres, depending on the place of origin and climate.
Scientific Name |
English |
Chinese |
Distribution |
sinense
|
Chinese Cymbidium | 墨蘭, 報歲蘭, 養老, 達摩, 瑞玉, 鶴之華 | Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, Fujian, Jiangxi, Southern Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces of China; Northern Vietnam; Assam of India; Nansei-shoto of Japan |
ensifolium
|
Four Season Orchid, Golden-thread Orchid, Spring Orchid, Burned Apex Orchid, Rock Orchid | 建蘭, 四季蘭, 焦尾, 漳蘭, 玉沉 | Indo-China to Temperate Eastern Asia |
goeringii
|
Spring Orchid | 春蘭 | Himalaya to Temperate Eastern Asia |
goeringii subsp. goeringii var. goeringii
|
Chinese Spring Orchid, Japanese Spring Orchid, Korean Spring Orchid | 江浙春蘭, 日本春蘭, 韓國春蘭 | Temperate Eastern Asia |
goeringii subsp. goeringii var. formosanum
|
Taiwanese Spring Orchid | 台灣春蘭 | Taiwan |
goeringii subsp. goeringii var. forrestii
|
Yunnanese Spring Orchid | 雲南春蘭, 朵朵香 | South Western China |
goeringii subsp. gracillimum
|
Leek Orchid, Chive Orchid | 豆瓣綠, 豆瓣蘭, 綫葉春蘭 | Japan to Southern China |
goeringii subsp. longibracteatum var. longibracteatum
|
Sword-leaf Spring Orchid | 春劍蘭 | Southern Central China |
goeringii subsp. longibracteatum var. tsukengensis
|
Mt Tsukerg Orchid, Snow Orchid | 雪蘭 | Southern Central China |
goeringii subsp. tortisepalum
|
Broad-leaf Spring Orchid | 菅草蘭 | Southern Central China to Taiwan |
goeringii subsp. tortisepalum var. tortisepalum
|
埤亞蘭 | Taiwan | |
goeringii subsp. tortisepalum var. lianpan
|
Miscanthus Orchid | 蓮瓣蘭 | Southern Central China |
kanran
|
Cold-growing Cymbidium | 寒蘭 | Southern China to Southern Japan Taiwan, Guangdong, Gunagxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hainan Island provinces of China; Honshu and the Ryuku Islands, Japan; and South Korea |
faberi
|
Multi-flower Orchid, Miscanthus Orchid | 蕙蘭, 九華蘭 | Uttaranchal to Taiwan |
erythrostyllum
|
Red Column Cymbidium | 紅柱蘭 | Vietnam |
lowianum
|
Low’s Cymbidium | 碧玉蘭 | Burma, Thailand, Yunnan China and Vietnam |
floribundum
|
Golden Leaf-edge Orchid, Golden-edged Orchid, Yellow Margin Orchid | 多花蘭, 金棱邊 | Southern China, Yunnan, Taiwan and Vietnam |
dayanum
|
Phoenix Orchid, Tree Orchid, Day’s Cymbidium | 冬鳳蘭, 冬風蘭 | Assam of India; Eastern Himalayas; Sikkim; Thailand; Cambodia; Taiwan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Yunnan of China; Vietnam; Borneo; Malaysia; the Philippines; Sulawesi; Sumatra; Ryukyu Islands and Southern Japan |
According to the Culture Sheet for Cymbidium:
The Oriental value system for their temperate Cymbidiums works as follows: 11)12)13)14)15)
alba is the most coveted form next come flowers without contrasting features such as dots or streaks, pure green petals and sepals horizontal lateral petals, not opening upwards thick labellum tip, preventing it to open upward and expose the gynostemium fragrant flowers petal shapes define the floral type. There are five types and several species are typically used in their lineage: 16)
Daffodil shape: C. faberi, C. goeringii Plum-blossom shape: C. faberi, C. goeringii Chinese growers aim for petals as those of plum blossoms: round in shape, minimum eccentricity. They include the daffodil, lotus and plum shape. leaves display a harmonious composition. Ornamental foliage cymbidiums can have erect to arching leaves, those that are grown for their flowers rarely have erect leaves because it obstructs the inflorescence. Many cultivar lines are purely bred for their variegation, e.g.: 17)
Claws: tips of leaves are golden, diluting towards the base Golden laces: golden lines at the leaf edge Silk lines: golden lines on the leaves
Visit the Queensland Orchid International Facebook Group to join, share photos and videos, leave comments, have discussions, as well as post questions and answers.
Those who are interested in contributing photos or videos can upload them to the Queensland Orchid International Facebook Group.
Excellent or exceptional photos and videos uploaded to the group may be featured in the following Gallery of this post to provide exemplary visual documentations of Variegated Oriental Cymbidiums.
Variegated Cymbidiums in TAIWAN
Variegated Cymbidiums in JAPAN
Variegated Cymbidiums in KOREA
Variegated Cymbidiums in Hong Kong
Pages: 1 2
Related Documents, Articles, Websites and Facebook Groups
- Variegated Oriental Cymbidiums 🌏🏯🎎🙏🌸💮 (queenslandorchid.wordpress.com)
- Ancient Chinese orchid cultivation: A fresh look at an age-old practice (researchgate.net)
- Fragrance Judging – American Orchid Society (aos.org)
- Cymbidium (en.wikipedia.org)
- Cymbidium (commons.wikimedia.org)
- Cymbidium sinense (orchids.wikia.com)
- Cymbidium kanran (orchids.wikia.com)
- Cymbidium dayanum (orchids.wikia.com)
- Cymbidium lowianum (orchids.wikia.com)
- Cymbidium floribundum (orchids.wikia.com)
- Asian Cymbidiums (homepage3.nifty.com)
- Asian Cymbidiums Culture and History Notes (orchidboard.com)
- Culture Sheet for Cymbidium (culturesheet.org)
- CYMBIDIUMS (dragonagro.com)
- Cymbidiums – Species and Hybrids (cloudsorchids.com)
- Protocorm or rhizome? The morphology of seed germination in Cymbidium dayanum Reichb. (ejournal.sinica.edu.tw)
- 第二届普宁兰展掠影 (forum.hmlan.com)
- ☆☆☆蘭藝用語與日文讀音☆☆☆ (chinaorchid.net)
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- 國蘭的起源和歷史 (chinaorchid.net)
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- 蘭 花 病 毒 害 診 斷 與 預 防 (chinaorchid.net)
- 國蘭的施肥與病蟲害及農藥之使用 (chinaorchid.net)
- 分 株 與 移 植 (chinaorchid.net)
- ★★★國蘭線藝基礎簡介★★★ (chinaorchid.net)
- 線藝進化之基本架構 (chinaorchid.net)
- 天下第一香:中國蘭花及詠蘭花詩詞 (igotmail.com.tw)
- 中國蘭 (fororchids.net)
- 墨兰 (baike.com)
- 《中国兰》 (baike.com)
- 大花蕙兰 (baike.com)
- 中国兰 (baidu.com)
- 蕙蘭 (hulanshen.com.tw)
- 1207的國蘭 (flowers.hunternet.com.tw)
- 兰科植物学名汇总 Orchid Plant Scientific Name List (weisanli.com)
- 台灣國蘭聯誼社(Taiwan Cymbidium Club) (facebook.com)
- 台灣報歲蘭廣場(Taiwan Cymbidium Plaza) (facebook.com)
- 台灣山水畫圖斑藝蘭聯誼社 (facebook.com)
- 台灣二岸四地蘭花促進推廣總會 (facebook.com)
- 寶之林*蘭藝˙花草˙奇樹˙園藝˙論壇。 (facebook.com)
- 達摩藝蘭之家 (facebook.com)
- 國蘭天地~ (facebook.com)
- Queensland Orchid International (facebook.com)
- Cymbidium Society of America (facebook.com)
- American Orchid Society (facebook.com)
- King of Fragrance: Chinese Cymbidium Show (nmns.edu.tw)
Culture Notes
- Chinese Cymbidiums (firstrays.com)
- How to Grow Cymbidium Orchids (wikihow.com)
- Cymbidiums (collectorscorner.com.au)
- Growing Cymbidium Orchids (members.optusnet.com.au)
- WHY ISN’T MY ORCHID FLOWERING? (mosorchid.org)
- Growing Cymbidium Orchids (landscape-and-garden.com)
- Cymbidium Orchids Growing Guide (ebay.com.au)
- 9 Cultural problems (orchidsusa.com)
How v interesting & how wonderfully explained ! Speechless .xx
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Both u know me soo well .xx
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SoundEagle . What’s with the angry face icon ? LOL . There is a song I’ve heard recently & the lyric is “all I want for Christmas is you ” , is kinda apt you know !!
I don’t like the thought of customs locking you up for a strip search & I shouldn’t laugh but if you need bale or anything else please call me & I’ll be there !! Xx
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As for the icon, you are free to change it to something else (that is more or less befitting thenakedflorist) at your discretion.
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SoundEagle , do u have any of the afore mentioned orchids ?
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漂亮! Thanks for sharing this with me. I love plants like these! 🙂
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歡迎您光顧昆士蘭省蘭花協會的網站! SoundEagle is almost certain that you are the first to (partially) comment in Chinese at this website, not to mention that you also happen to have a Chinese name, 泰山, meaning Tarzan.
Needless to say, should you wish to contribute some essay(s) on this blog, you are very welcome to be a polyglot here as you indulge yourself or entertain us by applying whatever you have learnt in your Management and Psychology double major in the Business School at Rutgers University as well as Graphic Design on anything pertaining to aesthetics, orchids, gardening, botany, horticulture and other related domains.
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I found this to be a most surprisingly informative educational and enjoyable article. I had not at all realized just how important Varigated orchids were to Asian and Chinese culture. The significance and the role these orchids played and how they related to ones position in society whether they be Royalty , nobility, wealthy or religuous order they were percieved as highly valued gifts which notably were grown in special containers and groomed carefully to maintain their varigation. Grown for their perfume their beauty and as a status symbol. The inportance of gift giving and the discussion at Tea parties was a important part of the Chinese culture that I had never heard about.The eminent scolars who wrote about them. Their medicinal and culinary use, all quite surprising. Definitely an article that you can read over and over and still pick up something you missed each time you read it. I will be reading again. I loved the acompanying pictures of these beautiful examples of varigated Cymbidiums and was interested that the they are not all necessarily grown for their flowers or purfume that some are simply grown entirely for their beautiful leaves. I hope everyone who reads this will enjoy it as much as I did, and read it at least a second time, tell others about it too. Thank you K.W you have written a wonderful comprehensive article yet again.
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Should you be wondering why SoundEagle has endeavoured to broach so many areas or facets regarding Oriental Cymbidiums, then SoundEagle would like to explain to you that apart from the salient details and differences already outlined in the post to contextualise and underpin the historical, sociocultural and sociopolitical developments as described in the post, you can gain an insight into the validity of this post through an awareness or recognition that the extended, pluralistic subjectmatters of this post are themselves the product of SoundEagle’s wish to be consilient and holistic whenever time, energy and circumstance permit, such that the ethos, perspectives and objectives of ✿❀Queensland Orchid International❀✿ can be well represented by the styles and contents of this special post.
It is also hoped that this post can serve as a cultural bridge between the East and the West in a modest way via the translation, edification, promotion and dissemination of information pertaining to the long cultures and traditions that have accompanied such orchids and their ardent champions through art, literature, poetry, gardening and horticulture.
Should you come across more information and additional developments regarding variegated Oriental Cymbidiums, please kindly share them in the comment box below. Thank you in anticipation.
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Thanks! Very informative read! I thought my tiny seedlings looked like these more mature ones! I actually got 2 flasks of Chinese cyms last October. One is variegated. This is my first deflasking experience so I don’t know how the seedlings will go. I was thinking of asking someone to deflask for me but I decided to do it myself! By the looks of things, I think I am going to lose some! But some should survive too! We’ll see!
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Thank you for also acknowledging your experience of reading this post by leaving another comment at the Queensland Orchid International Facebook Group timeline as follows:
May you have a wonderful year of growing orchids in 2015!
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Very informative and interesting read. To be honest I have never heard of variegated cymbidiums and you have enlighten me in this species, thank you.
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May your subsequent readings of this post be even more enjoyable and beneficial!
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I have a baby Yi Ying Golden Dragon, and can’t wait for it to grow up and flower 🙂
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oh drats, I posted before finishing…Golden Dragon is varigated 😀
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Hello I am happy to find your website on variegated cymbidiums. I have a variegated Cymbidium floribundum (pumilum) or a hybrid therefrom which might be named Kinryouhen ‘Shima’ or ‘Nakafu’. I am still trying to figure it out. Is anyone familiar with either of these cultivars? If so is there a way to exchange photos? I have posted two photos of the plant on the webpage https://www.facebook.com/groups/807268875969405/.
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Hi Robin Davis! Thank you for visiting this webpage. It appears that you have found some answers to your questions for your variegated Cymbidium floribundum ‘Joong Too Ho’ 중투호, which you consider to be not a Korean Cymbidium goeringii cultivar as it produces neither single flowers nor serrated leaf margins.
All the best to your effort in growing it into a specimen!
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