All I know is many times a vendor will get what's purported to be an alba.
Their plant has white flowers but the only way to be sure if its a true alba
is to self it and see if all the progeny are white too. Of course many
times ~3/4 of them are colored and ~1/4 are true albas. Maybe less,
actually, because in orchids color is controlled by 2 genes, they both have
to be switched 'off' in order for true albinism to occur. The color
reversion comes from a white flower having just a hint of color elsewhere in
the flower - like in the throat, a tinge on the back of the sepal or
someplace else. When crossed to itself the genes all pair up and yeild
colored flowers. Only the lucky few are all switched off and therefore
albas.

Koopowitz talks about this in his book on paphs, about how they
(Paphfanatics) used to do alot of this sort of cross testing in order to
find/create the one true alba. I guess they had bench space...

K Barrett

"v_coerulea" wrote in message
...
Right you are, Kathy. I purchased this from Carter & Holmes as Gga
quinquinervis alba x self. As far as I know, there's no way an alba x self
can revert to the colored form. I wrote to C&H and haven't heard back yet.
I'll let you know if there's a reasonable answer. Unless anyone else knows
anything about alba Gongoras not being real albas or having complex genes
as in white Catts?
Gary

"K Barrett" wrote in message
. ..
?? I thought there shouldn't be any red/brown (anthocyanins) color in an
alba...

K Barrett

"v_coerulea" wrote in message
...
These are 3" flowers on 1 1/2' long stems and quite fragrant.
Gary