OrchidSafari
Brazilian Miltonias
by Marilyn H. S. Light Copyright December 2000
December 2000

The genus Miltonia once contained species now considered by taxonomists as members of Miltoniopsis (Columbian Miltonias or Pansy orchids including M. roezelii), Anneliesia (including A. candida, cuneata), and Miltonioides and Odontoglossum (including O. laeve and O. karwinskii). Such has been the hybridizing and even natural hybridization within the group that all are still registered as Miltonia although they may be separated into separate classes at shows. The group of warm-growing species popularly known as the Brazilian Miltonias and continuing to carry the generic epithet Miltonia includes Milt. clowesii, flavescens, regnellii, and spectabilis. The Brazilian Miltonias form the backbone of warm-growing Oncidium Alliance breeding today. Each species has specific traits which have been exploited by hybridizers in an attempt to have vigorous plants tolerant of warm conditions and producing large colorful flowers well spaced along the inflorescence.

Milt. flavescens is a typical forest epiphyte in parts of Paraguay and neighboring Brazil. It produces long stems of pale yellow flowers having pink patterned white lips in September to November where it grows on particular host trees in original forest. That it is almost never found in secondary forest was observed by Arno Brune (AOSB 56:277-279, 1987).

Miltonia clowesii, another Brazilian native, produces its large, well-spaced flowers from a shoot while it is still developing. The sepals and petals are golden brown barred chestnut while the lip is fiddle-shaped and lavender pink above the narrowest point. These two species were crossed to produce Milt. Goodale Moir which characteristically produces 5-6 flowers per inflorescence.

The species with the broadest lip is Milt. spectabilis. Four-inch wide rose-purple to white flowers are borne singly. Many attempts to introduce the lip size to hybrids have ended in a frustration with clusters of nicely shaped flowers bunched at the end of an inflorescence as in Milt. Honolulu. The addition of Milt. flavescens and clowesii to hybrids has met with some success.

Miltonia regnellii is another Brazilian species having a lovely purple pink lip with radiating darker purple veins. Petals and sepals are very pale yellow. This species typically produces an arching inflorescence of 3-5 well spaced flowers.

The natural hybrid x Bluntii (spectabilis x clowesii) typically has two clustered flowers per inflorescence with dark rose-blotched petals and sepals with a broad blush lip shaded rose toward the top.

Milt. William Kirch ( x Bluntii x regnellii) is variable but typically has three well-spaced pretty flowers with bright yellow petals and sepals and a pale pink regnellii lip.

Hybrids such as Miltonia Seminole Blood carry genes from flavescens, clowesii, regnellii and spectabilis giving us in the better clones, four solid dark purple well-spaced flowers per inflorescence. Some clones of Milt. Sandy's Cove seem to have it all, color, shape, nice spacing and flower count.

The first three orchids I ever purchased were Miltonias. I was very fortunate to obtain large, healthy specimens of Milt x Bluntii, Milt. William Kirch and Milt. Anne Warne, each mounted on a slab of tree fern.

One thing I noticed even as a novice grower was how the plants took on a yellow hue when about to bloom. Of course I thought that I was doing something wrong. But was relieved when a more experienced hobbyist came to my aid. I must have done something right for these plants are still going strong today, thirty years after that initial purchase! These are truly warm-growing orchids as I raised them for several years while living in the Caribbean. Now in Canada, they continue to perform well in shallow pots or baskets depending upon the plant habit. Most Miltonia hybrids bloom in autumn and winter. A couple of speculative crosses I have made demonstrate the tremendous potential within this group. Crossing Milt. Anne Warne with Odm. trilobum has produced the coveted large patterned flowers in shades of strawberry pink or white with contrasting lip waterfall patterns (Odontonia Warbler). Milt. clowesii has contributed petal and sepal blotching.

Following a a short list of hybrids to be discussed during the Orchid Safari discussion.

Milt. x Bluntii (spectabilis x clowesii)
Milt. Anne Warne (x Bluntii x spectabilis)
Milt. Festiva (spectabilis x flavescens)
Milt. Gayety (Festiva x spectabilis)
Milt. Goodale Moir (flavescens x clowesii)
Milt. Honolulu (Gayety x Anne Warne)
Milt. Parana (William Kirch x Goodale Moir)
Milt. Seminole Blood (Parana x spectabilis)
Milt. William Kirch (x Bluntii x regnellii)

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