Pansy-lip Dendrobiums

MANILA, Philippines – More than 2 decades ago, D’Bush Nursery of Australia developed a new type of Dendrobium with 3 flat petals. There is no distinct lip making the flower resemble those of Pansies (Viola sp.), thus “Pansy-lip Dendrobium”. 

The plant breeding line capitalized on a type of Peloria or monstrosity in Dendrobiums. Normal Dendrobiums have 2 petals and one lip while Pansy-lip Dendrobiums have 3 petals.

Pansy-lip characters may be viewed as atavistic character or reversion to a more primitive state in the evolution of the species. The more primitive members of the orchid family, Apostasioideae (Apostasia and Thelmitra) are characterized by their petal-like lips resulting in Pansy-looking flowers.

The first stable commercial lines developed were registered Dendrobium D’Bush Classic and D’Bush Pansy which became the backbone of most of Pansy-lip Breeding lines. 

Breeding

Characteristics 

Pansy-lipped Dendrobiums bred with regular Dendrobiums result in normal looking flowers. Selfing and sib-crossing of these normal-looking hybrids result in segregation of normal and pansy lip individuals following Mendelian ratio. Some halfway pansy-lips characterized by opened side lobes are also produced in more complex breeding lines.

Hawaiian Breeders had perfected the large-flowered deep purple, Pansy-lipped Dendrobium Kuranda Classic and cutflower clone Dendrobium Ethel Kamemoto cv.’White Cascade’ while Thai breeders developed many lines and color clones of Pansy-lip Dendrobiums including miniatures and a near-trilabiate clone (triple lip instead if triple petal).

This line of breeding (i.e. Pansy-lip Dendrobiums) is starting to gain interest in the world market. The Japanese growers have started ordering clones of miniatures in different color forms. Philippines is not left behind in this respect. A breeder in Antipolo has been breeding this type of Dendrobiums for more than a decade now.

Reference: Kamemoto,H., Amore,T.D. & Kuhnle, A. Breeding Dendrobium Orchids in Hawaii. 1999. University of Hawai’i Press, Honolulu.