Cym. Chocolate Chip Mint

This is my first blooming of Cymbidium Chocolate Chip Mint (sinense x Tiger Moth), a gift from John Dunkelberger (http://www.nationalcapitaljc.org/PERSONEL/PERSONNEL.HTML). This plant is a true Miniature Cymbidium because it is the product of all miniature cymbidium species, to wit, sinense, tigrinum and floribundum (aka pumilum). It produces fragrant flowers, per sinense and tigrinum. The 'type and breeding', of course, results in porrect petals per all of the parent species.

As for flower count, this is an interesting mathematics exercise to calculate the geometric mean (the square root of (A x B)), and thus relate the actual value with what one might expect from such a hybrid.

The awarded [plant] has as many as #, average of #, flowers per inflorescence:
tigrinum has as many as 8, average of 4; 
floribundum has as many as 46, average of 27;
sinense has as many as 21, average of 12;
Tiger Moth has as many as 21, average of 17; and
Chocolate Chip Mint has as many as 13, average of 12.

So, if one calculates the geometric mean flower count per species alone, one might expect, per the respective maximums about 20 flowers per inflorescence ((square root of (46x8)=19) x 21) and per the respective averages about 11 flowers per inflorescence ((square root of (27x4)=10) x 12).

So, if one calculates the geometric mean flower count per the Tiger Moth parent, one might expect, per the respective maximums about 21 flowers per inflorescence (square root of (21x21)=21), and per the respective averages about 12 flowers per inflorescence ((square root of (12x12)=12).

My first bloom plant has six flowers and one bud on a single inflorescence, so this inflorescence is substantially less than the previously awarded clones of this grex, as well as what one would expect from the geometric means. Perhaps next year, now that the plant is becoming established from the prior move across the country, it will produce more flowers per inflorescence. Nevertheless, I find this to be a wonderful Mini Cym hybrid, and a definite keeper.