Sergio Barani is an orchidist since he was 11 years old and has been cultivating orchids as professional for more than 20 years. Nowadays he is recognized as one of the greatest Brazilian breeders. His creations take part in the most important show in Brazil and his masterpieces are Blc Bruno Bruno and Cattleya Fátima Barani. His nursery is Nobile Orchids. ON: Barani, you are a civil engineer, how did you get inside the world of orchids and how did you decide to make this a profession? SB: Orchids came before the engineering. In fact, I had my associate card in an orchid society when I was eleven years old. At this age, I was already a mascot of the society. The engineering came later. ON: Very premature! How did it happen? SB: I had a neighbor which hobby was birds and orchids. He was a close friend to my grandparents and my parents. I used to watch him dealing with the orchids. I found it very beautiful. He gave many orchids, back-bulbs. By this time, we used to put the back-bulbs in a grape box to make them sprout, thus I had 30 or 40 orchids and I should build a bower.

ON: How was this return? How old exactly were you?

SB: It was a return for the origins because the Sociedade de Orquidófilos de Santo André (Local Orchid Society) – SOSA was practically the same I had attend when I was teenager and was inactive. That was a re-foundation with Martinelli again, Geraldo de Assis, Francisco S. B. David (Paco), Wilson Sosnoski and many others. I participated in this re-foundation and stayed there for many years. Thus, when I was 17 or 18 years old, I got back to the orchids, once again I had them at home.

ON: So you have a long relationship with Martinelli. What could you tell us about him?

SB: Fantastic great personality. Someone completely in love with he did, he gathered orchids and orchids. He worked a lot, but really a lot for CAOB (Brazilian Orchid Societies Coordination) from which he has been the president for many years. I just can say that he was a trustworthy fellow, always helpful, always ready to conciliate a quarrel about points and every thing. He cooked a good pasta. This is the souvenir I had from him, always in a good mood.

ON: He was a character inside the Brazilian orchid world, how do you place him mainly in the state of São Paulo ?

SB: He was the base of the orchid world in São Paulo, basically he supported CAOB, he was the CAOB during long time in many shows. During my teenage and even a little more, you could go to any show in the interior, CAOB was Martinelli. I don't know how Coab run but the only thing I saw during many years was Martinelli at the head of CAOB. In all shows in the interior of the state, in every place you went, the little Italian was there, always in shirt-sleeves, no matter if it was cold or not, always rubbing hands, I've never seen that man with a warm clothing.

ON: Backing to your history, meanwhile you graduated in engineering but you haven't practiced?

SB: Yes, I practiced for a while. When I was fourteen years old, I already worked with projects, I was a designer. By this time, mainly in my Italian ascendancy family which hadn't doubtful words, they didn't put the discussion if it was or not politically correctly to work when we are fourteen. If we were able to work, we would worked. By this time, there is no discussion about exploiting minor. I hade my first employment book signed when I was 14 years old, in an industry of metallic construction where I did a course of drawing. When I was 15, I designed, at 18, I was a draftsman. I earn much more before going to engineering college than when I finished the course. In order to support my course, I give classes in mechanical design for 12 years in SENAI school and even when I finished engineering, I went on giving lessons for a while, doing repairs and small constructions. However, soon I received the invitation to go to Guararema taking care of orchids, where I lived for 15 years.

ON: You also had a relationship with the great Rolf Altenburg (http://tinyurl.com/y9gkl3c), from Florália, how was this experience? You can say that he was the personality in the orchid world who most influenced you?

SB: I should say that I owe him my start in the professional life, let's put it in another way, he helped a lot and my "indoctrination" has been his catalog and his way of working. I can say that I learnt from him since I was very young. My society always received Florália's catalog, we studied it carefully and put a mark in what interested us and we discussed with Martinelli and another skillful associates. By this time people should really know about orchidist. At the beginning his catalog hadn't photos, so we discussed about the parents in the cross and what they could generate: “- This can be good, so 5 plants, this one is more speculative, it can be good or not, so 3 plants”. I saved money and when the new catalog was released, I practically "sweep" it. Three, five, ten of each one, always a seedling because I hadn't money enough. I bought a lot in order to have the opportunity to have something good. I had acquaintance with Rolf but it was a long distance contact, I only attend to his nursery from 10 to 15 times, at maximum. When I came to buy with him, he already knew me as amateur and he was very kind with me may be because I was really interested in what he did and for being a constant customer. I wanted to know how everything worked: “- This one I don't know, what is this? Which was your purpose? What can be improved?” may be it stimulated Rolf to help me when I talked about being a professional breeder. Once when I had already free access to the collection, he let me walk around and went to the office, something very interesting happened. He had imported many Odontoglossum hybrids from Germany, adult plants, just about to bloom, wonderful things with spikes a meter long. They were the first Odontos in Brazil. This time, some have already one or two opened flowers. I asked him if he could sell me some and he answered: “- I got them for matrices.” He had imported 500 or a thousand plants and I insisted if he could sell me about 30 because there were many crosses and inside the same crosses there was many variations. He finally answered: “- I sell ”. “Can I choose?” “– Yes”. He went to the office and I, as a carefully orchid lover, spent with Fátima, one or two hours looking for small spots, macula, good shapes and so on. - "This is the best, that is the best." I compared one by one. There was a small garden wall where I put the plants. I called him and told I have already chosen them. He looked at me and said: “- Those are mine, I trust your good capacity for choosing them, now you can choose yours.” I told him: “This is unfair”. Rolf answered: “- Unfair is to buy many plants to do matrices and someone come, at very first blooming and choose the best. I didn't choose none and I enjoyed your choice, so those are mine and now choose yours”. Then I started all over again. It is a healthy joke, after all, I was learning. When I started as professional, I was looking for matrices and nobody wanted to sell me them. I went to Mr. Rolf and asked him if he could helped me, he allowed me to choose some plants in his collection. It was about going on in the same breed line he was doing to see what would help ahead. He told me to choose some plants but I haven't much money and told it him. He answered: “- Let's see what you want and then we will discuss about the money”. I remember well it was november or december and he let me choose 50 plants, when I was at the thirtieth, I thought: “I am deeply in debt, I can't afford it”. So, after having choosing 50, Mr. Rolf called an employee and asked him: ”- How much costs an ordinary Laelia purpurata?". That's why I know it was the end of the year. He answered that it was something like 10,00 U$. So Rolf said: “- I have a lot of friends, I would create strong enmity among them if I give those plants, so I will sell to you." The price he asked was the same price of an ordinary Laelia purpurata discarded in the shop. Today, I would buy 50 excellent matrices and pay 500,00 U$ or something like that.

ON: Very interesting and cool his vision in having a continuity in this work.

SB: He felt that I was interested. He never denied me an information, even after having my trade, we had a doubt about a very good plant, still used as semi-alba matrix. Patiently, he searched in his registers and gave the information. Another interesting event, he had a C. schilleriana coerulea that he didn't sell in Brazil, just abroad. It was a rarity and he gave me one provided I never bring it to a show nor tell its origin.

ON: It means, your starting point had Rolf's little help?

SB: A little help no, a beautiful push. If you have a look on my first crosses, the plants were basically from Rolf Altenburg's collection. By this time, in the country, there nothing better, to hybridize, in lilac than Lc Rolf Altenburg (registered in l979), it was the top. Nothing better than a good Cattleya Enid, a Bc. Pastoral. He had already done Bc. Pastoral's daughters, there was Bc. Turandot (Bc. Pastoral x C. Bob Betts), one of them is ‘Guaxupé’, a very good shape but it not so floriferous as Bc. Turandot ‘Araraquara’, a very good matrix.

ON: Do you still remember which plants you have got?

SB: All 50 no, I can't remember all of them. We had good alba such as C. Francis TC Au, C. Jack Cole, semi alba such as Cattleya Enid, Blc Enid Moore, good lilac such as Bc Turandot, Lc Rolf Altenburg, Blc. Roberto Cardoso, Lc. João Antonio Nicoli, Bc. Pastoral, Lc. Tyl Belle, etc.

ON: When it happened?

SB: By 85, 86, when I went to Guararema.

ON: Besides Rolf, in your opinion, who did the history in Brazil concerning the hybrids of the Laelinae group?

SB: Waldemar Silva did many crosses. In Amparo (state of São Paulo), Paulino Rech had a big nursery. He hybridized a lot but the difference is that he never registered his hybrids while was Waldemar Silva registered 114 hybrids. I met him once, in his nursery but Waldemar Silva I never met him. Many other breeders did hybrids but, unfortunately, they didn't registered the crosses, Jorge Verboonen, Evaldo Wenzel, George Suzuki, Seidel, Yamagushi; those I remember but I remained circumscribed to São Paulo, the shows at ABC, in fact, I didn't travel a lot, I went to Guaxupé, Rio Claro, Rio, but I didn't go away ... Still today, I am not used to travel a lot.

ON: Which were the great hybrids of Cattleya, the big clones, the great matrices, done in Brazil?

SB: We should analyze the genealogical tree of all Brazilian hybrids in order not to lose merit of any ancestral. Besides, a good matrix can never receive a award in the shows and plants with high punctuation and award can not be good matrices. We have many good hybrids but we don't have official judges, that is the problem, so we don't have official awards which do not allowed our good plants to have their value be recognized here and abroad. Our awarded plants are limited to the visits of the American judges pay to AOSP, OrquidaRio and (now) Joinville shows. Except for those three shows, we don't have judgments, so there are many good plants but we depend on having opened flowers during those few opportunities. Good matrices, just for talking about Rolf Altenburg's ones: Bc. Pastoral, 1961, it has been used in 239 registered crosses, Lc. José Dias Castro, 1966, 50 crosses, Blc. Enid Moore, 1980, 22 times, Lc. João Antonio Nicoli, 1972, 19 times, etc. C. Sonia Altenburg, wonderful semi-alba, unfortunately not very fertile, has received an AM. Lc Sheila Lauterbach was our only FCC, I don't know if we have something more, Roberto Agnes (Aranda), Sandra (Florália), César Wenzel (Wenzel Orchids), Antonio Schmidt (Bela Vista Orchids) took plants abroad and getting, in this way, good opportunities.

ON: It was the clone 'Equilab' of Lc. Sheila Lauterbach that got a FCC/AOS with 90 points, in 2.000. In 2008, in Joinville show, we had a Blc. Durigan with seven awards.

SB: It was a fantastic Blc. Durigan, at about 50 plants among the best...

ON: In the work you presented in the "1st Congress Oriental /Brasil Orquídeas", you said that the orchid market can be divided into two segments: orchids for the orchidists and orchids to decoration market, but you finished for reaching the two segments.

SB: My first aim was to produce flowers for decoration, floriculture commerce, I didn't intend produce flower for orchidists, for attaining award. However quality is desirable in every where. A colorful flowers is beautiful for the decoration and is beautiful for the orchidist; a good shape bring money in the decoration and bring punctuation in the orchid judgment ; a bigger number of flowers is good for decoration and is also good for the orchidist. Quality is quality. Although the aim of my work is commercial, good plants appear, are judged and get awards, arising orchidists interest. So the necessity of internet, catalog, to reach the orchidists is compulsory because we can not dissociate, at least, completely, the aims. In this way, I satisfy the needs of the orchidist market breeding for the decoration market.

ON: What are you still looking for?

SB: In breeding with orchids, the search is slow, constant and endless. Some times, we are looking for something and we find another thing; we want to aggregate a genetic characteristic and we finished for bringing a “gift” that we don't want, forcing us to do a new cross. Genetically speaking, we do not know exactly what happens when we do a cross. My work is based in the search of some characteristics which are more and more essential for making a hybrid a commercial success. The season of blooming, the precocity of the blooming, the durability, the color, the shape, the substance, the size of the flowers, the number of flower per spike, the ovary length, the rhizome length, the scent, the plants vigor, the resistance to pests and diseases, the response for cultivation conditions, etc.

ON: Let's start with the first characteristic you mentioned. Why the blooming season is so important?

SB: The season is determinant for the market because the consumption varies according to the commemorative dates such as Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Secretary's Day, All Souls' Day, Christmas Day, New Year and another religious dates. Those occasions offer to the producers a opportunity of having a better sale because the consumption increases. The tradesman who, normally, ask for 10 plants, during the Mother's Day, wants 100. This is the peak moment of the consumption during the first semester. If we wish or not, the blooming peak of Cattleya hybrids is the first semester which is, concerning the inner market, very complicated. In January, the consumer is on holidays, the towns are deserted. In February, there are many “extra” expenses, there is the Carnival, people travel a little more... March is a little bit better because there are some shows however it is Lent period when people can't marry because it causes bad luck. We get inside April which is always an interrogative situation... Some times a “gap” appears before the order for Mother's Day... In terms of flowers commercialization, the beginning of the year is not so good as it could be due to the cultural characteristics of or country. The orchid market will be better when the best of our Cattleyas are finishing their better blooming, May or June when we have a strong presence of Cymbidiuns showing the beginning of the second semester which is, in terms of quantity, for the Dendrobiuns and Phalaenopsis. It is up to the producers and tradesman break this commercial paradigm.

ON: And for the orchidist, the blooming season is also important?

SB: For the orchidist who participates to the shows, the blooming season is also important. He wants to have his plants open one or two days before the show in order to exhibit them to the judges and to the audience. Most people who do not travel a lot have 80% of their collection formed by plants bought during the shows in their cities. In other words, plants of all collection in the town will bloom at the same time and rest of the year, just a few plants blooming. An active orchidist need to have plants blooming all year around to contribute to his society which should participate in shows of different societies all year in order to guarantee the participation of the societies on its own shows. Without guests, it is difficult to do a good show. For that reason, it is important to produce hybrids which bloom in any season of the year.

Blc. Nobile's Tango 'Buenos Aires Comment: A cross of Lc. Irene Finney × Blc. Nobile’s Bruno Bruno. It blooms in Springtime. Done for reinforcing the production of the end of the year, it resulted in a multiflora plant with medium flowers which has a more vivid lilac than the others blooming in the same season.

ON: Why there is a relation between the season of year and the color?

SB: In the first semester, when the wholesaler see a plant with four large yellow flowers, he usually says: “- Just four? There is no plant with five? It is not exactly this yellow I wanted, I would like a yellow a little bit vivid”. As it has many varieties and the demand is retracted, the law of supply and demand visibly prevails. The “lilac fell in disgrace” for a decade now, the price is stagnated, however the plants cost the same for being produced, it takes the same time and occupies the same room. During the first semester, it is still more devalued. Why? Because it is the Cattleya blooming peak, everything is opening. The talk is like that: “- Is it lilac? I don't pay more than ten or fifteen, is it yellow or red? I pay up to R$ 25,00”. During the second semester when there is a lack of Cattleya with large flowers, the talk changes, nobody wants to know the color or how many buds there is inside the sheath; all colors are sold by the same price. We are talk about wholesale.

ON: There is no place to amateur, we should know the tendency of the market in order not to make mistakes...

SB: I got inside the market when we could do anything in terms of hybridization because it was saleable. Few people participated in this market because the knowledge about breeding was dominated by just few. Here in Brazil, the only company which withheld the process of cloning a plant was "Equilab" which was starting in this market. When the customer want to have a better quality plant he only should buy crosses and should have good luck to obtain a good plant. With the clonage, not only the professional but also de customer have access to very high quality plants with a retail trade price. Nowadays the smallest mistake represents a loss because the profit margin decreased since we cultivate in a big scale, in a more aggressive market, in many meanings. While the hybridization, talking commercially, became a high risk activity as it can't be done in a speculative way and/or in a large scale since it turn into having as a main characteristic the function of being the supplier of "novelties" for the flower production industry.

ON: Could you give some example of plants blooming in commemorative dates such Mother's Day, for example?

SB: Cattleya Fátima Barani is an example in lilac. Potinara Helga Margaret Gray, hybrids using Blc. Goldenzelle, also bloom in this time, we have good yellows such as Blc. Nobile’s Golden Top, Blc. Nobile’s Golden Dunes, etc.

Potinara Helga Margaret Gray	Cattleya Fátima Barani

ON: And the second characteristic, the precocity of blooming?

SB: It is very important, it is directly linked to the costs, becoming a determinant factor for a more lucrative production. A plant with a precocious blooming will occupies a room for a smaller time giving space for another. Some species of Laelia and also bifoliate Cattleya transmit this quality for their progeny. Another genera such as Oncidium, Cymbidium, Phalaenopsis and Dendrobrium are considered as fast plants, they can blooming within 3 years but the group of Cattleya takes in general, the double. With the genetic and cultivation techniques, we succeeded in reduced this time.

ON: How long take a precocious plant inside the group of Cattleya?

SB: We can talk about 4 years.

Blc. Nobile's Pop 'The First’ Comment: It is a cross de Lc. Chocotome Gold × Blc. Nobile’s Bruno Bruno and blooming from the Summer until the Winter. It has a pleasant scent, presenting red flowers from 4 to 5cm across, precocious blooming. In the first blooming, it bears 2 or 3 flowers but it has potential to bear up to 10 flowers in the subsequent blooming.

Blc. Nobile's Soleil Comment: It is a cross de Blc. Kure Beach × Lc. Blazing Treat, with precocious blooming in Springtime bearing many flowers per spike from 4 to 6 cm across. The color varies between the yellow and orange. It blooms between the third and fourth trimester when there are just few Cattleyas available in the market. In this cross, rupicolous and bifoliate plants have been used which allow the generation of floriferous plants that when adults will be like their parents bearing from eight to twelve flowers. In the show, it is an easy plant to be sold, even when with just few flowers.

ON: Going on with the desirable characteristics...

SB: Size and number of flowers per spike, length of the ovary and rhizome, this is concerning the orchidist, but commercially is also important.

ON: Why the length of the ovary is so important?

SB: Just few people care about it, but it is a question of the appearance in all plant. Ovary too much long make the flowers not to be upheld in the spike, turning down which is a characteristic of Rhyncholaelia (Brassavola) digbyana, for example. Together with the large and lacework lip, comes this “problem”. For a good presentation, the flowers should be propped with stakes. On the other hand, a short ovary finishes for impairing the plant appearance, making difficult the opening of the flowers and when there are many flowers in the same spike, they become heaped. The length of the ovary should be proportional to the size of the flower.

ON: And about the rhizome? SB: The short rhizome brings economy in the costs for the producer because the plants stay more time in the same pot and, at the same time, the appearance is more pleasant, the plant has a good demeanor, more compact. A too large rhizome makes the repot more frequent. Plants such as Bc. Pastoral or Blc. Norman’s Bay, for example, when used as matrices produce plants with a 5-7 cm long rhizome, making the replant more frequent to keep the plant inside the pot. Although most people don't look for the "bottom of the plant" when they are enchanted by the flowers, it is an important point to be verified mainly when it is a matter of producing. If the plant has a large rhizome, the work will increase.

the right lenght

ON: Bc Pastoral has another characteristic, which are the consequences brings in breeding?

SB: Lilac is a dominant color and as Bc Pastoral alba or semi-alba is a false albino, it is not useful to cross it with an alba, semi-alba, yellow, red, or any other color. The result will be majority lilac.

ON: And you can say about the importance of the color?

SB: The color in Cattleya judgment worth 30 points, so it is very important for the orchidist. In the judgment as well in the market, the price or the points are associated to stable colors. A good color makes the plants be worth more. It can be monochromatic, like a watercolor, maculate, it can have spots, but the color should be uniform and in the "right place". Yellow should be vivid, if it is not, the price drops down in the decoration market and it loses points in the judgment. The customer is latin, he appreciates the spherical shape, he likes, essentially, hot colors; yellows and red are on top. Phalaenopsis and Denphal broke this routine. Vivid and hot colors, even "mixed", such as yellow and red in Blc. Nobile’s Wild Fire and Blc. Nobile’s Tropical Sunset, mean well succeeded sales, in the decoration market as well in orchid world. Blc. Nobile’s Tropical Sunset is a result of excellent matrices Blc. Julio Barbero and Blc. Hsinying Gold.

Lc. Nobile's Affair

Blc. Nobile's Flash	Blc Shiniti Ishikawa 'Easy'

Blc. Nobile's Wildfire 'Arabesc' Comment: A cross of Blc. Eve Marie Barnett and Blc. Julio Barbero which blooms in Summer. The color varies from the yellow and orange to red, with a high percentage of flamea.

Blc. Nobile's Starlux 'Ocrelinea' Comment: Interesting effect, brush stroke of vivid yellow on the petals an sepals over the yellow. It is a cross de Blc. Julio Barbero x Blc. Hawaiian Treasure.

Blc. Nobile's Tropical Sunset 'Fábula'	Blc. Nobile's Tropical Sunset 'Feliz Natal'

Blc. Nobile's Tropical Sunset 'Festa'	Blc. Nobile's Tropical Sunset 'Firebird'

Comment: Blc. Nobile's Tropical Sunset It is a cross of Lc. Hsinying Gold × Blc. Julio Barbero and blooms from Springtime until Summer. It bears from 4 to 5 flowers with good substance, medium size, yellow with red flamea.

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ON: And about the number of the flowers, which examples should be done?

SB: Blc. Nobile's Bruno Bruno, Blc. Nobile's Honey, Blc. Nobile's Thathá, the last one pays homage to my daughter Thaís. This is a plant that will be produced because it has everything good. The matured plants already selected, bear from 7 to 8 flowers per spike, some go to the yellow when they are open then become orange-yellow like pumpkin. Some are monofoliate which is better to the culture and to the shipment, the medium size flowers are pleasant scented.

Blc. Nobile's Bruno Bruno	Blc. Nobile's Honey (Blc. Hawaiian Galaxy x C. Chocolate Drop)

Blc. Nobile's Thatha Comment: A cross of Blc. Ademar Manariniand Blc. Reina Criolla, blooming in Summer. It is a result of plants which produce orange large flowers with good substance. It bears a high number of flowers per spike and the color of the lip is vivid.

ON: And about the size of the flower?

SB: Commercially I have an expression “decorated volume”. It is the point where we look when we see the plant, where the inflorescence is. This volume is determinate by the number, the size and shape of the flowers. The more the flowers are large, numerous and good shape, the bigger this volume is and, in general, the price is directly proportional to this volume.

Blc. Nobile's Tropicana	Blc. Nobile's Goddess 'Saka (Lc. Amber Glow x Blc. Julio Barbero)

Blc. Nobile's Aura 'Joinha' Comment: It is a cross Blc. Peach Cobbler and Blc. Hawaiian Galaxy. Although the flowers are medium size, it is multiflora keeping the good visual composition.

Blc. Nobile's Suprema Comment: It is a cross of Blc. Lourdes Panucci x Lc. Beatriz Künning. It produces large good shape flowers with more than 20cm across.

Blc Maripá Comment: It is a cross of Blc. Goldenzelle x Blc. Nobile's Red Fox. Vigorous plants with large flowers. The color varies from the yellow until the red. Many of them have yellow-orange flowers with a curious effect reminding watercolors paints.

OON: And the substance?

SB: Substance is a very important characteristic because it is directly connected with the durability of the flower, flowers with good substance last more time. Plants with substance, for example, bifoliate in general, generate plants with star shape flowers and very big leaves. C. leopoldii can produce 20 -25 good substance flowers by spike, for example.

ON: How long last those crosses?
SB: Modern crosses with cattleya last from four to five weeks.

ON: Blc Tatarown has 50% of C. guttata (leopoldii) as you said, Blc. Durigan has 25% and Blc. Nobile’s Frisson has 12,5%. This is the only way to obtain a good substance? Blc. Nobile`s Bruno Bruno has a good substance and also has 25%.

SB: I say C. guttata because it is the name of the registers but I always use the C. leopoldii which has a better shape. Among the bifoliate we can mention C. loddigesii, C. schilleriana, C. bicolor, C. intermedia, C. aclandiae, etc.

Blc. Tatarown (Blc. Mem Helen Brown x C. guttata)	Blc. Durigan

Blc. Nobile's Bruno Bruno

Blc. Nobile’s Frisson Comment: It is a cross of Blc. Nobile’s Bruno Bruno e Blc. Oconee and blooms in fall. The plants with good substance, vigorous growth can bear more than 5 medium flowers per spike when adults. The color varies from red to magenta.

ON: And about the shape?

SB: Shape is essential for orchidist, 30 points...May be this is the first quality searching by the orchidist at the first sight. Concerning the decoration, the good shape increases the “decorated volume”, contributing for the value of the plant. So when we doing a hybrid where the matrices have already good flowers, strong colors, the shape is indispensable, even for the multiflora because the difference of the “decorated volume” is very perceptible. In general, the improvement of the shape should be followed by the augmentation of the ovary length for heaving more space in the spike, making easy the opening of the flowers.

Blc. Nobile's Suprema (Blc. Lourdes Panucci x Lc. Beatriz Künning) Comment: A plant with lilac good shape and large flowers which has in its progenyBc. Pastoral, C. Tiffin Bells, Lc Rolf Altenburg. I don't believe that will produce more than three flowers per spike, but with the good shape and size, the result is already very good.

Blc. Verônica Serra (Blc. Nobile’s Carnival x Blc. Goldenzelle) Comment: Big plant with up to six flowers per spike. There are flowers with full magenta petals, some others with just a little macula or without macula on the petals. Almost 50% of the plants are flamea, its blooming extends until Mothers' Day and, sometimes, it blooms twice a year. The plants which have Blc. Goldenzelle in their progeny tend to blooming twice a year as well as some coming from Blc. Chunyeah.

Blc. Nobile's Golden Horizon 'Giga' (Blc. Goldenzelle x Blc. Dal's Horizon)

ON: The good shape of Blc. Nobile's Golden Horizon is due to the double presence of Blc Goldenzelle? Blc Dal’s Horizon has 50% of Goldenzelle, it means, this cross has 75% of Goldenzelle. So we can say that the predominant presence of C. dowiana (almost 35%) and Cattleya trianaei (20%) are determinant for a good shape?

SB: The good shape as well as the other qualities is a characteristic that will be fixed while we select plants with this quality and we make new crosses in order to fix this characteristic or, who knows? to make it better. I don't believe that this quality can be ascribed to the genetic percentage of the species involved; I believe that this percentage have influence on the morphological characteristics, like the bifloliate, or on the blooming season, for example.

continues