Cal Orchids has a stunning array of hybrid Japanese bred Lycaste. 3 long benches full, probably close to 1,000 plants. I don't know how many crosses he has but I would estimate between 30 and 50. I was there yesterday and picked out the best 5 out of about 50 plants in bloom.

He offers them on his web page but there is a problem with that. Most are the product of 5 plus generations of line breeding by a Japanese breeder. 95% of the progeny is probably Lycaste skinneri but all colors are represented. All are seedlings and the seedling variation is pronounced. I saw plants with identical name tags and totally different flowers, both color, size and quality varies from plant to plant, even with the same name tag.

I live close enough to Santa Barbara where I could go there and cherry pick premium plants in bloom but if you don't have that luxury, buying them becomes a little bit of a problem. The name really does not mean that much as there is considerably variation in the seedling expression. If you buy unbloomed plants, it becomes a crap shoot, you may get fantastic or mediocre. I myself plan to visit his place one or two more times, 4 to 6 weeks apart, to scan the current crop of plants in bloom and do some cherry picking.

James Rose and his wife, the owners are easy to talk to, if you need to order from afar, tell him what you want, he'll pick some plants for you and send you pictures of the bloom, thus you get a better handle on this. The blooming season is well under way but most of his plants are in bud and a vast array of flowers should be ready for inspection over the next few month.

Even though 5 or 6 generations ago L cruente and/or L longiscapa are in the progeny, the flowers all have the skinneri look and could almost be considered primary skinneri crosses. Very dramatic and beautiful flowers I would highly recommend them.

Nick