Jumellea-fragrans-Irene-CHM/AOS-2019-09-17

Jumellea-fragrans-Irene-CHM/AOS-2019-09-17***Reconfirmed as Jumellea cf. fragrans (Apr 2020) as the flower point of origin, their presentation and the form match the description and images in Curtis' Botanical Magazine (1891); the leaves have a slight herbal fragrance, but not that of vanilla which would be characteristic of J. rossii***

































































Judging Center: Northeast

Award Number: 20194329

Award Date: August 17, 2019

Awarded As: Jumellea fragrans 'Irene' CHM/AOS

Six charming stellate flowers on six self-supported, axillary 7.0 cm long inflorescences borne on a 28 cm wide by 30 cm tall branching, monopodial plant mounted using a small sphagnum moss pad on a 20 cm tree fern plaque; leaves lanceolate averaging 1.0 cm wide by 8.0 cm long; roots rambling; flowers ivory white, each segment uniquely conformed; dorsal sepal narrow, reflexed; lateral sepals narrow, strongly reflexed; petals narrow, curved, held horizontally; lip elongate, diamond-shaped, creased centrally; light green spurs average 6 cm in length; column green; anther cap light lime green; substance medium; texture matte; species native to Reunion and Mauritius; confirmed by SITF

Reference Material - Orchid Review Vol 117 no 1287 Sept 2009 P 137
AOS Bulletin - July 1967 p. 587 and June 1980 p 622

Plant > Overall length of growth/cane: 25 cm

Plant Leaf > number of leaves per growth or cane: 6 - 9

Plant > Leaf Length: 7.5 cm

Plant > Leaf Width: 1.0 cm

Plant > Leaf Margin: entire

Plant > Leaf Shape: landeolate

Plant > Leaf petiole length (apex of pseudobulb or stem to leaf base proper): NA/clasping

Plant > Pseudobulb/Growth/Ramicaul Length: 2 - 25 cm

Plant > Pseudobulb/Growth/Ramicaul Width: 0.3 - 0.4 cm

Plant > Pseudobulb/Growth/Ramicaul Margin: flattened/elliptical

Plant > Pseudobulb/Growth/Ramicaul distance between growths along rhizome:: 1.7 cm

Plant >Pseudobulb/Growth/Ramicaul Root Tip Color: light green

Inflorescence > Overall Length: 4 cm

Inflorescence > Arrangement: axial, single flowered

Inflorescence > Distance from base of inflorescence to first bud or branch: 4 cm

Inflorescence > distance between flowers along inflorescence: na

Inflorescence > distance from inflorescence to base of sepals: 7.5 cm

Inflorescence > distance from inflorescence to base of sepals: 7.5 cm

Inflorescence > Floral Bracts Length: 7.5 cm

Inflorescence > Floral Bracts Width: 0.2 cm

Inflorescence > Ovary Length: 7.5 cm

Inflorescence > Ovary Width: 0.2 cm

Inflorescence > Ovary Shape: cylindrical

Inflorescence > Ovary Color: light green

Inflorescence > Ovary Texture: smooth

Flower Natural Spread Length: 8.9 cm

Flower Natural Spread Width: 4.8 cm

Flower > Dorsal Sepal Length: 3.0 cm

Flower > Dorsal Sepal Width: 0.3 cm

Flower > Lateral sepals or synsepal Length: 3 cm

Flower > Lateral sepals or synsepal Width: 0.4 cm

Flower > Petals Length: 2.9 cm

Flower > Petals Width: 0.3 cm

Flower > Lip or Pouch Length: 3.0 cm

Flower > Lip or Pouch Width: 0.8

Flower > Lip or Pouch> characters of lip (calli, spurs, keels, etc.): 6 cm spur - hockey stick shaped

Flower > Column Length: 0.2 cm

Flower > Column Width: 0.2 cm

Flower > Column Color: light green

Flower > Anther Cap Color: light brown

1 comments

I think this could be J. bernetiana which I cannot find any information on other than a photo online. It was apparently collected on reunion and described in 2011. I have a an orchid (division) exactly like this, sold as J fragrans, but I ruled it out as that species for the following reasons: nectary at 6 cm is too long to be fragrans which has a nectary of 4cm. Labellum is too narrow. Column is green. (Fragrans is white). Flower fragrance is not of tuberose, which fragrans is. Leaves when dry are highly fragrant of coumarin. The SITF description does not state whether the scent check of the awarded plant was done on fresh or dry leaves. It is ONLY the dying or DRY leaves that produce the coumarin fragrance. The drying must occur slowly or a pathogen needs to be infecting the leaves for the fragrance to be noticeable. Like green vanilla capsules, the green leaves of jumellea species with coumarins lack fragrance. This is due to enzymatic breakdown from bacterial action in vanilla, and probably in jumellea species with coumarins in the leaves (this characteristic is not restricted to rossii). It is not entirely clear from old reports or new research whether or not the true fragrans has fragrant leaves, as there are conflicting reports by a French collector who has what is very clearly J. Fragrans flower and plant which he says does have very fragrant leaves, the old reports, and recent research by the university of reunion. I am working on getting my plant DNA tested, as before today when I found the photo of bernetiana, I thought it could be a new species or a hybrid and the university genetics dept said they could test it for me. I would like to talk to the grower about where his plant came from, and ask him some questions about it. He and the Sitf can contact me at the given email address. My main source for the information i stated is in the paper by Bertrand mallet at the university of reunion titled morphological and phylogenetic differences between two sister species, jumellea rossii and jumellea fragrans, or something very close to that. When trying to ID my plant, I searched "jumellea fragrans ou rossii" knowing that French was spoken on reunion which is where I found this paper. I also have many other articles and translations collected in my search for my plant. I would be happy to share this info with the Sitf and the grower if desired.

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