Awards Descriptions Their processing Jos A IzquierdoRivera Awards

Awards Descriptions : Their processing José A. Izquierdo-Rivera Awards Clerk – Center Secretary Puerto Rico Judging Center - AOS Some slides used in this presentation are from Ron Mc. Hatton Ph. D’s presentation on Descriptions

In the beginning the process was easy …

The Description Process • From Here • To Here

The Description Process From Here To Here

Let’s review the Award Form to this point … • Press firmly you are writing three copies. • Write legibly. • Check the award number : make sure it starts with the current year. • Include Place and Date of judging event. • Name of plant as required/regulated by Handbook • Clonal name if needed • Previous Awards if any • Was same inflorescence presented at a previous judging? • Comments if and when needed

Name of plant as required/regulated by Handbook • The AOS has selected authorities when it comes to hybrids and species nomenclature: – In the case of botanical nomenclature , the names as listed in the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. – In the case of hybrid genera , the names as accepted and listed by The International Orchid Register.

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

Species awards • Some require taxonomic verification and taxonomic verification is dependent on nomenclature … – Taxonomic verification of all previously not awarded species is required, no matter what award is granted. – CHMs – CBRs – Any species award when a judge on the judging floor requests it. • There are limitation on certain species awards. Awarding of species under other name (synonyms) may render the award null or may require additional information to be provided ( or additional action by the judging team) for the awards to stand: • CBR • CHM

IN THE CASE OF CBRs AND CHMs CHECK IF SYNONYMS HAVE BEEN AWARDED – CHECK ID SPECIES IS FIRST AWARDS

At AOS we are working hard to get it that when you search for an awarded plant , synonyms , if available, do appear in the report.

Check List for Hybrid Names ü With the changes in generic names, there have been changes in the names of the intergeneric hybrid combinations: • Laelia • Alliance • Phalaenopsis • • Oncidium • Alliance • • Zygopetallu • m Alliance • Maxillaria Lycastes Vanda Ascocentrum Neofinetias Others

The International Orchid Register

You Can Find the Information in AQ Plus …

Existence of duplicate names • C. Dayana (1966) (C. forbesii x C. guttata) • C. Dayana (1908) (C. velutina x C. crispa) Use: Comments Area or Description Area. INCLUDE THE CORRECT COMBINATION

Cattleya Dayana 1908 1966

Rhyncattleanthe Love Triangle Rlc. San Damiano (1) = (Rlc. Pastushin's Gold x Rlc. Fuchsia Fantasy) Rlc. San Damiano (2) (Rlc. Ports of Paradise x Rlc. Erin Kobayashi) Seed parent Pollen parent Genus Rhyncholaeliocattle Cattlianthe ya Epithet San Damiano (1) Chocolate Drop

Rlc San Damiano (1) Rlc San Damiano (2)

Clonal Names • Respect the assigned clonal names if the plant has it. . When can you change a clonal name? • Not all awards require clonal names. Which ones do not?

(Genus) American Orchid Society (Species/Hybrid) Name of Award Clonal Name : Name of Exhibit (if available), other assigned name , not needed THE CASE OF EXHIBITS AND NON PLANT AWARDS

Previous Awards to the same clone – Why? • Upgrade – Comparison – Point scoring CHM Significant differences TO THE SAME SPECIES CBR 6. 2. 10 Certificate of Botanical Recognition (CBR). . . No award of any kind may have previously been made to the taxon. A taxon may be granted a second CBR only to correct a clear taxonomic error in the record and the description of such an award should clearly state the reason for the second award. Once an award has been cleared it will be allowed to stand, regardless of subsequent name changes resulting from taxonomic changes or award challenges

Was same inflorescence presented at a previous judging? • 5. 3 (5) … Once an inflorescence has been judged, it cannot be judged again on the same flowering; however, successive flowering or branching inflorescences may be resubmitted for judging consideration if previously considered flowers are no longer present. …

Comments • General Rule: It is better to have a short pencil than a long memory. – Previous Awards ( record) – Cut Flower – Previously flowered inflorescence – Taxonomic Verification ( Why? – Specially when not the obvious reasons? ) – Other in formation that needs to incorporated in final description ( Like ? ? ? )

It’s all metric… All measurements are in centimeters only! When measurements are smaller than 1 cm. , please place a 0 before the decimal point. Also, in the case of whole numbers place a 0 after the decimal point.

Measurements • Make sure you are using the right scale in the ruler to measure. • If a majority of the judging team desires, minute flower segments under 0. 2 cm may be measured as hundredths of a centimeter (2 decimal points). Other components of such descriptions should be comparably accurate. • Do not leave a space empty. If a segment is too small to measure , indicate that fact with a note. • Make sure you transcribe the correct measurement , specially the correct dimension. • The Handbook is your friend: use the definitions set in (7. 5. 1 ) Overall Measurement and 7. 5. 2 (Actual Measurements). • TEAM CAPTAIN: Review measurements for correctness AND completeness. JUDGING CHAIR : Review again.

DESCRIPTIONS • Why? Don’t we have photos available • Describe as if no photo is available, photos are not good quality or, photo wont show details. • Follow AOS Style Standards

What to avoid …

ALL descriptions follow a prescribed format (sequence) it is NOT the order in which the measurements are taken. 1. Flowers, buds, number of inflorescences 2. Description of plant and container if appropriate 3. Flower base color if appropriate 4. Dorsal sepal (or sepals if taken together) 5. Lateral sepals (or SYNSEPAL) if not included with dorsal sepal 6. Petals 7. Lip including crests, keels and spur 8. Column and anther cap (or staminode) 9. Substance 10. Texture 11. Ovary if noteworthy 12. Floral bracts if noteworthy 13. Rachis is noteworthy 14. Country of origin for botanical awards 15. Verification of identity 16. Any judges comments of note, i. e. , …. precluded higher score

Descriptions have one capital letter – the first one the exception is if proper nouns are included like ……. cultivar dominated by Cattleya parent. and only one period – at the very end. The description of plant or flower parts are separated by semi-colons sepals green; petals yellow; lip white Thoughts related to the description of a single segment are separated by commas sepals green, blotched maroon; sepals and petals white, petal apices flared magenta; Taking parts together is fine if it’s appropriate sepals chartreuse, striped mahogany, synsepal less densely

First, ALL descriptions of awards involving plants with flowers start with the number of flowers, buds and inflorescences. Unopened or immature inflorescences are included in the count. Err on the side of more information than less i. e. , Sixty-four flowers on one branched inflorescence, 53 buds on a second inflorescence and 3 buds on an additional immature inflorescence is of much more value to subsequent judges than Sixty-four flowers and 56 buds on 3 inflorescences The first case lets the reader know that 64 on an inflorescence is possible. The latter is 40 per infl.

Use of descriptive qualifiers In my opinion not used enough – This is your opportunity to say why you awarded something – but make sure the words match the numbers Three remarkable, flat flowers…. . Five brilliantly colored, eye-catching, flat flowers on a sharply erect, impressive inflorescence………… Four striking, dramatic flowers……… Sepals and petal electric green

Form modifiers – almost never enough flowers full, cupped, cernuate (nodding), campanulate (bell-like), flat, open or stellate, etc. petals porrect, reflexed, inrolled, fused lip at 90 degrees to floral plane margins smooth, crisped, undulate, feathered, fimbriate or fringed, ruffled, dentate, warted surfaces smooth, papilose, scurfid (scaly), pubescent, hairy

There is a need for an appropriate vocabulary

A word (or two or three) about hairs Canescent Pubescent Ciliate Sericeous Floccose warts

These petals are not goffered – they are undulate or wavy Old-style postage stamps in sheets have goffered edges Goffered edge face-on Goffering viewed edgeon

Develop the habit to describe flowers consistently if you describe the sepals and petals in layers beginning with base color and work out from the colum and add layers, i. e. , Sepal and petal base color white overlaid soft pink, proximally peppered darker pink, medially spotted rose-pink, apically flared dark rosepink then follow the same order for the lip white, distally overlaid lavender veined purple Means something quite different from lip white veined purple, distally overlaid lavender or lip white, proximally veined purple, distally overlaid lavender What’s that in the road, a head? Or What’s that in the road ahead?

Avoid descriptors that are ambiguous without a picture. Which is correct? petal upper halves coarsely spotted brown-maroon, lower halves less spotted petal proximal superior halves coarsely spotted maroon, inferior halves less spotted

Distal Medial apex Basal Proximal Central Superior Inferior

Apical flares vs. distal flares

COLORS ALWAYS keep it simple!

Colors One of the single biggest sources of confusion in descriptions two colors, one of which modifies the other are hyphenated yellow-green, red-brown fruit and vegetable colors are acceptable and are not hyphenated lemon yellow, lime green, apple green, grass green Rose ANYTHING is always hyphenated since ROSE is a color that modifies the other Raspberry is NOT a color, it should be raspberry pink or raspberry red, etc. Cream is not a color – it should be cream-color Do not use –ish as in greenish-yellow if you mean that use chartreuse or green-yellow Use of –y is acceptable and is not hypenated creamy yellow Be very careful of ambiguous combinations rust red – do you mean rust-colored or a color that is rusty red?

Problematic colors! Most common problems arise with the use of ambiguous words; Raspberry; wine; amaranth Can you think of any others? In some cases , color and/or color distribution can be considered a fault.

“Cordovan”

This is NOT a green flower………… To say flowers green; lip yellow is incorrect It should be sepals and petals green; lip yellow, …… In a similar fashion, the flower to the right shouldn’t be described as flowers red; lip yellow……. But sepals and petals red; lip yellow, distally splashed red, side margins darker yellow;

These flowers aren’t concolor white Flower base color clear, uniform white; lip side lobes proximally bright yellow;

This flower is not pristine white. Pristine white implies pure, unblemished. Sparkling, bright, clear are all better descriptors.

It had barring, spotting & blotching on the petals Don’t use ‘ing’ words!

ALWAYS keep it simple! Exercise due care • Style book – III. COLORS – VI. AMBIGUITY IN DESCRIPTIONS • Use colors that can be understood with ease. Do not go over technical. • Describe the color in general; do not describe the minutiae.

Sometimes it is not that simple

Numbers • Numbers are always spelled out when they begin a sentence. • Numbers between 21 and 99 are hyphenated when spelled out. • The word “and” is not used when writing out large numbers Example: Nine Thirty-four One hundred thirty-four One thousand three hundred thirty-four

Substance: This is what you feel firm, heavy, thin, ephemeral, tissuepaper, rigid what does average mean? Texture: This is what you see crystalline, satiny, waxy, matte, scurfy Describe the majority first, then the exception texture crystalline, lip waxy.

Substance • Don’t use good, fair, average to describe substance! Good, fair, and average to what? Lacks reference. • DO use a term that substance can be related to, such as firm, hard, soft, or typical for species.

Simultaneous Awards • When allowed • Documentation • A separate description for each award • Each description specific for award documented • Cross reference of awards

MAKE SURE THAT THE DESCRIPTION INCLUDES THE REQUIRED ELEMENTS SET FOR THE AWARDS IN THE HANDBOOK Can you name them ? The Handbook is your guide , please check and make sure you have listed the required elements for each award described.

CCE, & CCM descriptions need vegetative measurements, pot/slab size, and any additional pertinent information. Clonal Name is Needed, even if the plant doesn’t carry it.

CBR & CHM need plant measurement, plus country of origin. • CHM needs reason why award was given • CBR: Why rarity, novelty or educational value

Reminder: Provisional Awards • Pending Hybrid Registration • Pending Taxonomic Verification – Reference: Handbook 7. 5. 3. 5 Taxonomic Verification and Descriptions • All CHMs • All CBR’s; • The first time a species is awarded • When requested by a judge.

Cut Flower Inflorescences

Award of Quality/ Award of Distinction AQ must list hybridizer and clonal names of parents! AD must list hybridizer. The Award of Distinction is not given a cultivar name. The Award of Quality is not given a cultivar name.

Spelling • Check the spelling!!!! Spelling accounts for many problems in a description. Commonly misspelled word: Fuchsia, Chartreuse

Spelling and Preferred Usage • Reference Part II of the Style Book – Spike – Spray – Stem – Cane – Cultivar/Variety

Instead of…. . • • • Cross Dorsal Labellum Pollen cap Periphery Secondary stem(s) Segments Ventral Sepals Marking(s) • Veining Parentage Dorsal sepal Lip Anther cap Margin/edge Ramicaul(s) Parts Lateral sepals Bars, spots, linear, blotches, dashes, etc. • Venation • • •

A Way to Improve the Description : Tag Lines • Reference: Description Tag Lines By Catherine R. Higgins [AQ Plus Forum] • Helps answer: Why? • Some judges advocate against their use. • Useful: CBR, CHM, AQ, AD, Upgrades to Flower Quality awards to same clone, Upgrades to Cultural Awards to same clone

Rhyncattleanthe Love Avenue (syn. Potinara) 'Serenade', HCC – AM /AOS • HCC/AOS Granted: October 9, 2009 • AM/AOS Granted October 2, 2010

Edit…

1 - Added “erect” 2 - Changed: "sepals and petals cream; lip cream overlaid purple, heavily striped purple" to "flowers cream; lip overlaid light purple, heavily striped purple"

THE PHOTO IS PART OF THE DESCRIPTION • Make sure the photographer gets his/her copy of the award form. • Make sure the photographer takes the required images before plant is released to owner. • Communicate with the photographer !!! Coordinate if additional images are needed. – Cultural awards ( complete plant , individual flowers ) – SITF

Make Sure that: • The correct award seal is attached. • The Team Captain has signed the form. • That the correct award and corresponding score is recorded. – Check for Point Spread – Check for Average – In the case of no point scoring, check that the correct number of judges voted for the granting of the award .

AND SPECIALLY • Make sure that the exhibitor record is complete and up-todate –Specially the email address

Finally • Attach the ballots to the award form and hand the COMPLETE record ( all awards forms and ballots and the completed attendance sheet ) to the designated person so he/she can process it.

Questions? Doubts? Always refer to the AOS “Handbook on Judging and Exhibition”

Teamwork will make the difference