THE NAMED VARIETIES 
We are listing this year a number of varieties which were not on our previous lists. 
Some of these bloomed for us for the first time in 1940. We do not list any variety 
unless we have flowered it. This enables us to check names and desirability. 
Our list of varieties is in four divisions. The first covers our own new introductions. 
The second headed ‘’General Price List,’’ covers those varieties which we are actively 
propagating. The third division, headed ‘Reserve List,’’ is to be regarded as a special 
check list and includes everything not elsewhere listed. We hope we are doing epiphyl- 
lum growers in general a service in maintaining this list as complete as possible so that 
names and unusual varieties can be checked now or in the future. There are some very 
fine things in this list which will undoubtedly interest amateurs who are sufficiently 
advanced to make large collections, as well as professional growers. As you can readily 
realize, it is impossible to keep a stock of rooted propagations always available on too 
large a number of varieties. Therefore we can only furnish items included in this Reserve 
List in the form of unrooted cuttings. The fourth division includes only wild epiphyllums 
(technically known as “species epiphyllums’’) and their relatives. 
Considerable confusion has been caused in the past by duplication of names, even 
in the case of well known varieties. The Standard Names Committee of the Epiphyllum 
Society of America is working to better this condition and names are being standardized 
as rapidly as possible. Names which have already been approved are indicated by the 
abbreviation ‘’std.“’ To enable you to check names in other catalogs, we list (syn.) all 
the synonyms we have encountered.* As a further check, we give the name of the 
originator (in parentheses) after the name of each variety whose originator we have been 
able to ascertain. There are a number of varieties which are quite similar to eacn other 
though recognized as distinct by the Standard Names Committee. In such cases, we 
prefer to grow only the best of each group so that each plant on our list is clearly 
different from any other. For completeness, we list such names with the notation, 
“similar, ton ~ 
There is no money in plant breeding. This can readily be seen when you realize 
how much work, overhead and time go into the production of new epiphyllums. The 
process is as follows: choosing promising parents, the flowers are hand pollinated. This 
is simple and easy, as epiphyllums are self-sterile and must have pollen from another 
variety to make fruit. The fruits ripen in September, and are cleaned, the seed being 
put away in labeled packages. Hundreds of crosses are made each year. The seed must 
be aged for nine months, so it is planted the following summer. The seedlings are weak 
and slow-growing at first and four years, or even longer, may be required before the first 
bloom is obtained. By this time the seedling has become a specimen size plant, and cost 
much more to produce than a standard variety of equal size. About 90% of the seedlings 
are destroyed as soon as they flower. The best 10% are grown on for a couple of years 
longer for further observation, and in the end only about 2% of the seedlings are named 
and listed. Nevertheless, the fascination of seeing new seedlings bloom for the first time 
is so great that we continue to grow them. 
We are working toward certain definite objectives. First of all, healthy, vigorous 
plants which are exceptionally free flowering. In this connection it is necessary to dis- 
card those which are ‘’pulled down’’ and become withered under the burden of a heavy 
crop of flowers, as many of the present standard varieties do. In company with other 
breeders, we are working for small, compact plants which do not take up too much room 
and are suitable for wintering in homes or small conservatories of limited space. We are 
also attempting to breed varieties which will bloom in the fall or which are extra early 
or late, so as to prolong the flowering season. 
In addition to these objectives, we are of course working for large flowers, for bril- 
liant or unusual colors and for graceful or imposing flower shapes. And with no small 
measure of success, for the epiphyllums present a plastic material with apparently un- 
limited possibilities for variation and improvement. 
*In our Reserve List only. 
