Orchid

Hybrids
The artificial production of orchid hybrids began more than a hundred years ago. Fertile orchid hybrids can be crossed with other species of the same or of other genera and produce new generations of fertile hybrids. The capacity of orchids to interbreed is one of their characteristics most valued by growers because it enables them to obtain endless combinations of new colors and patterns. Today there are hybrids involving up to eight genera and as time passes it is likely even more genera will be crossed. The number of existing hybrids is unknown because, although the Royal Horticultural Society, RHS, is responsible for keeping the records of these hybrids up to date, large numbers of hybrids have been produced by many individual growers for many decades. Many or these hybrids were produced at a time when many local producers never even knew about RHS. Even now that computer makes registration easy, most still ignore these records. The current estimate is that there are more than a hundred thousand hybrids, but the exact number of man-made hybrids will always remain a guess.

According to the rules of International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, ICNCP, hybrids of species belonging to the same genus always take this genus name, for instance, the result of breeding two Cattleya remains a Cattleya. When two genera are used, a new genus name is created with parts of each original ones, for instance, the hybrid of a Laelia and a Cattleya is a Laeliocattleya. When three or more genera are involved, the producer may choose any name he wishes for the resulting genera, provided he follows a few rules regarding names suffixes and that no other name had been previously registered for the same genera crossing.