I would not doubt a word stated, Pat. I have no first-hand experience with selfing, but what I
described is a _natural_ distribution. I did, however, overgeneralize:

What we have to keep in mind is that in order to get a "superior" plant, it is likely that a bunch
of individual traits must come together. In the genetic distribution I mentioned, each of the
individual traits are more-or-less distributed in a bell-shaped curve, meaning that there are lots
and lots of similar curves. Whether or not the "preferred traits" happen to coincide in a single
plant is probably a bell-shaped distribution as well, meaning that the probability is slim.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
..
"Pat Brennan" wrote in message ...
Ray,

If only what you describe was true for phals (I do not have enough
experience to talk about other orchid types). If your normal curve theory
was true, all we would have to do is self our very best plant to be rewarded
with a batch of seedlings of which 50% would be better than the best plant
in the greenhouses. There just would be no need for cloning.

In my experience, selfings tend to lack vigor and need special treatment
just to get them out of the seedling section. When they do bloom, very
rarely do you get a flower that is better then what you started with. Many
a time I have had self flasks or compots which did not produce a single
plant that was any where near as good as the plant that was selfed.

Selfing plays an important role in making stud plants, but in general think
long shot.

Pat


"Ray" wrote in message
...
Whenever you do a "selfing," you'll get a variety of characteristics,
spread out in a bell-shaped
curve. The majority - the middle, highest point in the curve - will be
quite similar to the
original plant, while as you get out into the "tails" of the distribution
curve, you will get some
with better features, some with worse.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
.
"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:FDvMc.154207$%_6.90600@attbi_s01...
And the site reads that you may not (probably won't) get ones just like
'Gulfstream Blue'. Of course they phrase it that you may get something
better....

K Barrett

"V_coerulea" wrote in message
...
HP's Phal. violacea ('Gulfstream Blue' JC/AOS x self) is every bit as
beautiful as he claims. He's against meristem of these plants but now
offers
a flask of 5-6 selfed seedlings for $150. The blue of Gulfstream Blue
is
fantastic. Get one for next year's cross. That's HP Norton at
www.Orchidview.com for those who didn't know.
Gary

"Mick Fournier" wrote in message
...
Well it is that time of the year again to try and cross two nice
Phalaenopsis violacea coerulea orchids I have been working with for
the
last
couple of summers now. The pod parent this summer will be a
mericlone
of
Joseph Wu's "Joy" from Taiwan I acquired earlier this year. It is
blooming
now and looks like this




http://personalpages.bellsouth.net/f...a_coer_joy1a.j
pg



http://personalpages.bellsouth.net/f...a_coer_joy3a.j
pg

The coerulea is on the right side. I have included a regular
violacea
in
the picture on the left just to see/test the standard magenta
coloration.

My question to you is this... do you know of any better coerulea
clones/specimens than this? If so, I would like to see the picture
or
hear
about it.

Mick