Hey Al,

Your writings are about the way that I understand things.

Ho Chi Minh is now in the potted plant market. It is sold in bud by the
tray with no special treatment and not really that big a premium over a
delenatti (5 - 10 bucks). There are now various strains of Ho Chi Minh
being sold. But that should not surprise anyone given the number of
imported flasks that were openly sold at shows. I think some of the Ho Chi
Minhs coming out of the west coast are the best, better color and a little
different shape. I do not think Bob has anything in his greenhouses that
could make these, but I am not sure if it is because of a different
vietnamensis used for a parent or just a better delenatti. But, the newer
darker delenattis we are seeing are just as illegal as any vietnamensis that
can not be traced back to Antec.

People who ask for copies of CITES paperwork do not understand the problems.
The plants from Antec have never crossed international borders and thus have
no CITES paperwork. The plants that arrived to the US in flask from Twain
all came with valid CITES paperwork. The ones with the valid Twain issued
CITES paperwork are the illegal ones. I do not know anyone trying to export
Ho Chi Minhs, stories of trying to get CITES paperwork for those might be
interesting. As long as the plant is staying in the US and is not something
that Antec has never made, I think we are at the point that vietnamensis and
its hybrids will be treated no differently than any other schedule 1 orchid.
In a couple of years I think we will be able to drop the Antec made hybrid
qualifier.

The AOS will never become the police for Fish & Wildlife unless, of course,
the AOS worked out a deal that excluded judges from the CITES rules.

Pat