Both these pictures are of a plant that was sold to us many years ago as Cymbidium iridioides. I had a small amount of doubt about the plant so I selfed it. nfortunately for me the selfings showed it clearly as a hybrid and I suspect a primary hybrid between Cymbidium iridioides and Cymbidium erythreaum. This would explain the narrow leaves and weak spike compared to many other iridioides I have flowered. I guess we all get such unfortunate accidents at times.

Now a new problem. I have flowered a number of plants of erythreaum sourced from different sources. They are all very similar and have flowers and flower habit as shown below:

I have selfed and outcrossed these plants and all flower true to form. They fit the description in Du Puy and Cribbs book and I am quite confident that they are the true species. Last year I first saw a plant of erythreaum 'Paradise' and have since seen a number of other clones as shown in the pictures below.

This appears to be a completly different variety of the species I was prepared to accept it as such. It should be noted that bulb shape is different and bulb size and leaf size smaller. It also is upright without staking where all my other plants are decorative or pendulous depending on how you stake them. I have often said I am just a hobbiest and will not argue with those who may have more knowledge.

The problem is that at the last OSCOV show the plant below was exhibited and the owner claimed it was a selfing of erythraeum 'Paradise' x Self.

As you can see the shape is completely different again and the lip is also quite different. My problem is if this is a selfing of erythraeum 'Paradise' then it would appear that this is too much variation and I would expect it to be a hybrid. If not it could be a missnamed seedling and we know that this happens in the best of collections. I have now selfed my own plant of erythraeum 'Paradise' but it will take me a number of years to flower the seedlings and see if they flower true to the parent. If anyone else has flowered selfings of this plant I would be most interested in seeing some pics as it will cut my wait down by several years and we can sort if this plant is a species.