#222229 - 12/15/09 12:19 PM
Re: Thunia alba (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
[Re: John M]
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OSF Platinum Member
Registered: 02/26/09
Posts: 1112
Loc: Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Congratulations, Mauro!  Very nicely grown and bloomed! It looks like my Thunia marshalliana. Do you know what is the difference between the two species? John, according to Kew Monocot Checklist, Thunia marshalliana is synonym to T. alba. That's why you found it similar to your marshalliana  !
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Mauro Rosim
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#222294 - 12/15/09 04:49 PM
Re: Thunia alba (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
[Re: Mauro Rosim]
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OSF Platinum Member
Registered: 11/27/04
Posts: 5287
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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John, according to Kew Monocot Checklist, Thunia marshalliana is synonym to T. alba. That's why you found it similar to your marshalliana ! Thank you, Mauro. However, even though I don't like to disagree with Kew,  I'm not so sure I agree that it is a synonym. I always thought that T. marshalliana was larger and more showy than T. alba; but, I didn't know which physical features were used to make that determination. So, now I checked Jay Pfahl's IOSPE website and he lists T. alba and T. marshalliana as separate species ( T. alba ) - ( T. marshalliana) . Plus, the photos show different looking flowers (most notably, the lip) and the text describes different flowers (most notably, the flower size). I know that Jay is respected and appreciated by members of this forum (including me! I refer to his site often); but, I dont' really know about his qualifications to determine such things as synonymy. I guess, even though there are obvious differences, Kew considers T. marshalliana (at most), to be a variety of T. alba (T. alba is the type species). Do you have any thoughts about all this? In light of this information, do you think T. marshalliana is a synonym, a variety, or a separate species? Thanks!
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#222371 - 12/16/09 06:42 AM
Re: Thunia alba (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
[Re: John M]
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OSF Platinum Member
Registered: 02/26/09
Posts: 1112
Loc: Sao Paulo, Brazil
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John, according to Kew Monocot Checklist, Thunia marshalliana is synonym to T. alba. That's why you found it similar to your marshalliana ! Thank you, Mauro. However, even though I don't like to disagree with Kew, I'm not so sure I agree that it is a synonym. I always thought that T. marshalliana was larger and more showy than T. alba; but, I didn't know which physical features were used to make that determination. So, now I checked Jay Pfahl's IOSPE website and he lists T. alba and T. marshalliana as separate species ( T. alba ) - ( T. marshalliana) . Plus, the photos show different looking flowers (most notably, the lip) and the text describes different flowers (most notably, the flower size). I know that Jay is respected and appreciated by members of this forum (including me! I refer to his site often); but, I dont' really know about his qualifications to determine such things as synonymy. I guess, even though there are obvious differences, Kew considers T. marshalliana (at most), to be a variety of T. alba (T. alba is the type species). Do you have any thoughts about all this? In light of this information, do you think T. marshalliana is a synonym, a variety, or a separate species? Thanks! John, I agree with you that Thunia alba and Thunia marshalliana have significant differences in the lip color patterns. As you say, Thunia alba's lip is generally almost white with purple veins while marshalliana has a striking yellow/orange with purple/reddish veins. Flower size also seems to be slightly different. I had mine labeled as marshalliana. I'd keep it as was despite Kew's opinion (OK, we have to have a guide and kew serves to this, but we need to remember that their list is full of mistakes and errors). I changed my label because Mobot - Missouri Botanical Gardens - also lists it as synonym to Thunia alba..... http://www.tropicos.org/NameAcceptedNames.aspx?nameid=50029294
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Mauro Rosim
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#222487 - 12/17/09 04:41 AM
Re: Thunia alba (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
[Re: Irma]
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OSF Platinum Member
Registered: 02/26/09
Posts: 1112
Loc: Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Some culture tips on the Tunia, Mauro? I got one from a Brazilian vendor that came to our show a few years ago ( can't remember his name ) and it is growing well ( I have it in semi-hydro because it almost died, now doing well ) but has not bloomed. Growths ( 2 ) now are about 14 inches tall. Mine is supposed to be marshalliana. Thanks Irma, I don't do anything special, I grow mine in sphagnum and clay pot. Watering and fertilizing are the same I do to Cattleyas. This is a relatively tall plant, mine didn't bloom before it was 30" high, so I belive yours has to get a little taller before yo see the flowers
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Mauro Rosim
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#222692 - 12/19/09 02:00 AM
Re: Thunia alba (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
[Re: Mauro Rosim]
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Orchid pest
Registered: 05/13/03
Posts: 1684
Loc: Hawaii
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Nice 'chid, Mauro.  I had one of these a few years ago. I couldn't believe how fast it grew. It got about 27 inches tall, had plenty of blooms at the top, and then it died back drastically. I almost threw it out, but learned just in time that they habitually die back, only to re-grow (very quickly) every year. Mine did this 3 times before I got used to it. I finally gave it to a friend in trade - I think it is still alive. The moral of the story...  If it looks like its dying, DON'T toss it out until you KNOW it's dead - it might be going through its normal cycle.
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#222697 - 12/19/09 03:22 AM
Re: Thunia alba (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
[Re: Yug]
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OSF Platinum Member
Registered: 02/26/09
Posts: 1112
Loc: Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Yes, that's right! I was prepared to this and didn't discard mine :D""
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Mauro Rosim
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#222715 - 12/19/09 09:06 AM
Re: Thunia alba (Lindl.) Rchb.f.
[Re: Yug]
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OSF Platinum Member
Registered: 11/27/04
Posts: 5287
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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The moral of the story... If it looks like its dying, DON'T toss it out until you KNOW it's dead - it might be going through its normal cycle. Exactly right! Also, the old canes that drop their leaves readily keiki during the next growing season. My Thunia was a keiki from the original plant that won the AM/AOS and it reached blooming size in only 2 years. However, it has continued to put on taller growths each year since then. When it starts to turn yellow in the fall, I reduce watering until about now (Dec.), when I stop altogether. Then I unpot, remove all the dead leaves and all the dead roots and place the canes on top of my electrical pannel (the one and only place in the greenhouse that I will not accidentally water them!). Sometime in February I pot them back into a new mix and place them back on top of the electrical panel and wait for new growth to be about 1" tall before I cautiously begin watering again.
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