Back to the index
ALEX CHALLIS
PART 1: AOS AWARDS
While looking through almost any orchid catalog, you may have noticed that some of the orchids offered have several letters at the end of the name, such as FCC/AOS, AM/RHS or SM/JOGA. These are all award designations that have been given out by various orchid societies. FCC/AOS would be for an First Class Certificate from the American Orchid Society, AM/RHS is for an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain, and SM/JOGA is a Silver Medal from the Japan Orchid Growers Association. Each society has developed their own system for evaluating orchids. Orchid awards may be beneficial in selecting your plants. Because mericlones of an awarded plant are genetically identical to the original, the flower quality will be the same as the original, and they will also carry any award. Crosses using awarded plants have a better chance of producing superior offspring. You may not always get a good one, but the odds are better. The awarding of an orchid also shows good growing habits by the grower. An orchid may have the genes to produce a great flower, but if it is grown poorly, it will produce inferior blooms. AOS quality awards recognize both the orchid s quality and the grower s skill. When selecting orchids in person, we also compare the relative quality between two orchids in flower. We compare the size of the flowers, the number of the, and their appearance. If you have seen more than one orchid of the same species or hybrid in bloom at the same time, you will usually notice that there is a difference between the flowers. Sometimes there is only a slight difference, perhaps in color tone, or there may be a large distinction between the flowers. Flower color can vary in the same cross, and while some flowers are flat, others may have petals that curve back. If you are making a decision between buying either of two orchids in bloom, you will mentally decide which of the two has a better quality. A vibrant color is more desirable than a dull looking flower, flat flowers are preferable than those with recurving segments, and larger flowers and more of them is also a consideration.
Quality judging is an important part of the evaluation of orchids, and is probably the best known by the average grower. In order to recognize superiority and improvement in orchid flowers, the American Orchid Society has developed a method of judging and scoring orchid flowers and plants.
The AOS grants three awards based on flower quality: the Highly Commended Certificate or HCC (75-79 points), the Award of Merit or AM (80-89 points) and the First Class Certificate or FCC (90-100 points). These may be awarded to orchid species and hybrids that score the required points on the AOS point scales. There is heavy emphasis on the color and form of the flowers, petals, sepals and lip. The size of the flower, the substance and texture of the flower, floriferousness, and habit and arrangement of the inflorescence are also considered in the scoring.
These qualities are scored as compared to a hypothetical standard as set by the AOS Handbook on Judging and Exhibition. Of course, Cattleyas are different from Vandas, which are different from Masdevallias. There are different standards for various orchids, and 10 different point scales used for scoring orchids. Each point scale places special emphasis on features that are more prominent in the particular group. In the Oncidium alliance, the Miltonia scale is used for any Oncidium alliance orchid where the lip is the dominant feature, while the Odontoglossum scale is used for those where the segments are more or less the same. The Miltonia scale gives more points to the lip for color and form. Glen Lehr gave out seedlings to AAOS members of an Oncidium hybrid which he named Onc. Maria Lehr. It has a huge yellow lip, with much smaller brown petals and sepals, so if he entered it for AOS judging and it was scored, the Miltonia scale would be used. Other scales are used as required for Cattleyas, Cymbidiums, Paphiopedilums, Dendrobiums, Phalaenopsis, Vandas and Pleurothallids, as well as a general point scale which may be used as needed.
As orchids and even orchid genera are quite varied, the standards set for them are also varied, but there are some general attributes that are expected for any flower being considered for an award.
For flowers of most Cattleyas, Cymbidiums, Phalaenopsis and Vandas, the form of the flower should be round, flat and full. To determine roundness, you should be able to draw a circle around the tips of the segments. When viewed at a right angle, the petals and sepals should be in a flat plane, and the more they overlap, the fuller they will appear. Flowers that have recurving parts will generally score lower than if they are flat.
The color of an orchid flower should be crisp and clear, not muddy or washed-out. Any markings should be distinct and symmetrically arranged. More spots on one petal than the other would give the flower a lopsided appearance.
The flower size and floriferousness of hybrids should be an improvement of both parents, it should be equal to or greater than the average between the two. On multifloral orchids, the flowers should be well spaced and well displayed, and flowers consistent from one to another. Because orchids are so varied, judges have to realize what normal is for each plant being looked at. Some orchids like Masdevallia mendozae are tubular, so you wouldn't expect flat flowers. Brassias are spider-like in their appearance, and so they and their offspring won't have overlapping parts. The Handbook gives detailed descriptions for the different types of orchids, but the ancestry must always be considered for each orchid.
Another frequently seen award is the Certificate of Cultural Merit or CCM. The CCM may be earned for the grower of a specimen plant of an orchid that is of robust health and an unusually high number of flowers. The orchid must receive at least 80 points on the CCM scale, which considers size and condition of plant, floriferousness and condition of blooms. Coelogyne cristata `Noel Wilson' received a CCM score of a perfect 100 points. A CCM and a quality award may be granted at the same time to an orchid. At the Saginaw Valley Show this last November, Owen Neils displayed a plant of Masdevallia Confetti (M. glandulosa x M. strobelii), and both a CCM and an HCC were awarded to that orchid.
Some orchids may have a distinctive characteristic worthy of recognition, and so could be awarded a Judge's Commendation (JC). The JC may be awarded for unusually colored flowers, peloric flowers where the petals have the shape or appearance of the lip, or even for having variegated foliage. This award is granted without scoring, by a unanimous vote of the team assigned to the plant.
Orchid species may be considered for a Certificate of Horticultural Merit (CHM) or the Certificate of Botanical Recognition (CBR). The CHM is given to a species with "outstanding aesthetic appeal that contributes to the horticultural aspects of orchidology." The species has a potential for becoming a desirable plant to grow, or may have one or more characteristics desirable in future breeding lines. The exhibited plant needs to score 80 points on a special point scale. This certificate may be awarded more than once to the same species, if the given plant has characteristics that are significantly different from other similarly awarded individuals of that species.
The CBR is awarded to a species or natural hybrid for its rarity, novelty and educational value. It does not have to have any horticultural desirability. The award is given only once to a species, and needs a two-thirds vote of approval. There are several other certificates and awards granted by the AOS, and you can look them up in the Handbook which we have in our library, AMERICAN ORCHID SOCIETY JUDGING
PART 2: THE JUDGING PROCESS
Early judging of orchids was done at quarterly meetings of the American Orchid Society, and the early awards were made informally. As more plants were being exhibited, monthly judgings were introduced in 1949. In 1954 at the First World Orchid Conference, a revised system ofjudging and scoring of orchids was developed. This allowed AOS judging to be held in other parts of the country.
In 1972, Ann Arbor became a supplemental center in the Mid-America Region, with St. Louis serving as the regional center. This and other sites around the country were needed as additional judging centers as the popularity of growing orchids was increasing. If you think it's difficult to box up an orchid to take to a cross-town meeting, imagine taking one on an eighthour drive, or sending cut flowers, and having them arrive in good shape for judging. In 1979, Ann Arbor became the center of the Great Lakes Region, serving the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and later part of West Virginia and Ontario, Canada. Recently, Toronto, Ontario and Cincinnati, Ohio were added as supplemental centers to the Great Lakes Region. There are now 26 regional and supplemental judging centers across the country. Each center meets once a month, with adjoining centers meeting on different weekends. AOS judging is also carried out at AOS sanctioned orchid shows. There are around thirty shows per month during the spring all around the US, and a few overseas. We all know what great timing orchids have for flowering, often blooming just before or just after a local judging or show. All these give the orchid grower a better opportunity to exhibit an orchid at a judging.
The judging centers were created to serve all orchid growers, and anyone may submit a plant or inflorescence for AOS judging. The Great Lakes Regional Judging Center meets every third Saturday at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens at 1:00 PM. The region currently contains 50 student, probationary and accredited judges. If you bring an orchid for judging, it is preferable to have the plant at the center by 12:45 PM. If the orchid is part of an orchid show, it is also considered as submitted for AOS judging unless otherwise stated. There is never any fee for submitting plants, only a charge to the exhibitor for awards that are granted to offset the costs of photography and award processing.
All orchids that are entered go through an initial nominating process. If any orchid gets at least one nomination from a certified judge, it will then looked at more thoroughly by a judging team. Orchids that get no nominations are set aside. Each judging team is made up of at least three certified judges, and nominated orchids are now screened by this team. Both species and hybrids are looked up in a list to see if that cross or species has had any previous awards. Bishop's List of AOSAwards contains all AOS awards given by the AOS and listed in the Register ofA wards and the Awards Quarterly ( 1 971 to the present.) If there were previous awards, the judges then look up the more recent ones to compare to the orchid in front of them. The descriptions are read aloud, and color slides are viewed if they are on file (many are being put into CD-ROM forinat for viewing on the computer.) If there are no previous awards, then the parents of a hybrid orchid are looked up. For a species with no previous award, the literature is searched for reference to that species. The orchid is evaluated on color, form and size of flowers, and arrangement of the inflorescence. Opinions are given on the orchid, and whether or not it should be considered for a quality award, another type of award, or no award at all. If no certified judge considers an award is deserved, then the plant is considered as being screened out, and it cannot be finther considered for an AOS award on that particular flowering. It may be entered again on a different flowering. The fmal phase ofjudging is point- scoring for quality awards. If at least one certified judge calls for scoring, then that orchid is scored on a 100-point scale. Each judge independently scores the orchid, and the official score is the average score of the certified judges on that team, rounded to the nearest whole number. If there is some doubt as to an orchid species' identity, or if a hybrid is pending registration, then an award may be granted as provisional. If the award is for an orchid species,'then the exhibitor will need to have the species identified by a recognized taxonomist. For each award granted, two official entry forms are made, one for the chairman of judging, and one for the exhibitor. On this form are recorded a description of the flower with floral measurements and other data as required, and the cultivar name and the owner's name and address. The flower or plant is then photographed, and all information is sent to the AOS Awards Registrar for certification. After the award is certified and the fee is paid, a color slide sent to the exhibitor, and all of the judging centers, and the award is published in the Awards Quarterly. After all of the orchids have been judged, there is a discussion of the orchids and the awards. Anyone may ask for a critique on any of the orchids, whether awarded or not. This is a good leaming process for the exhibitor, and they can see where there may be room for improvement. Some of the orchids submitted that are screened out are young plants, and while they possess many fine attributes, their full potential has not yet been brought out. It is recommended that these plants be brought back when the plant has had a chance to mature. Other orchids may have been scored and barely missed out on an AOS quality award. These may only need to be given a little better culture to improve the flowering.
While only judges and essential clerical assistants may actively participate in the judging process, interested persons are welcome to observe the judging process at any judging center.