Could someone please differentiate the definitions for the following: variegated, tessellated, mottled, and veined. I have never had a clear understanding of what each meants. Thanks

--Stephen

link to clan orchids dictionary
http://www.clanorchids.com/clanglos.htm

Neat site! I hadn't seen that before.

Thanks! It's bookmarked. :D

Variegated-usually caused by a virus or genetic mutation is when there are areas lacking pigment where there normally would be pigment. Usually seen commonly in Hosta where there is a white edge to a green leaf or white center on a green leaf, but most species of plants are capable of having it. I personally love variegation and am constantly collecting plants just for their variegation, often called "sports" when they appear on a mother plant that is normal all green.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/jonbar2/DSC05794.jpg
Variegated Clivias compared to the normal green one


Tesselated and Mottled usually refer to single flowered Paphiopedilums...though other plant groups go by these terms.
Tesselated to me usually means a checkerboard pattern on a leaf like Maudiae, and Mottled usually means uneven checkering and splotching like you would see on a Paph. venustum leaf. Though I have also heard Mottled used as a generic term used on all paphs with any pattern to their leaves...so all tesselated paph leaves are mottled, but not all mottled leaved paphs are tesselated.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/jonbar2/zzs1.jpg
Mottled leaves of Paph. concolor
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/jonbar2/zzs.jpg
Tesselated leaves of Paph. malipoense(not the best example, but still somewhat checkerboard pattered)


Veined leaves can be very lightly tesselated/mottled leaves or leaves with very noticible veining depending on who you are talking to. I use the term on both personally, but one may be more correct than the other.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/jonbar2/zzs4.jpg
Veined leaves of Liparis nervosa
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/jonbar2/zzs2.jpg
Veined leaves of Paph. Iantha Stage

Some plants can be a combo of these terms
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/jonbar2/zzs3.jpg
Goodyera hispida with veined and tesselated leaves...you can also find these variegated so they have large uneven streaks running lengthwise down the leaf...wish I had one!

Hope this helps

Jon

wow john i think you just answered stephens question perfectly :bowing:

Stephen, I really got excited when I saw your question.
Jon, excellent response but now I have more questions.

I have several paphs with leaves that are similar to your Clivia that is NOT variegated - the green one. What would that type of pattern be called? Anything?

Also regarding variegation - if it is due to a virus, does it tend to be a problem? For example, if you had variegated Paph. leaves, might you have flowering issues?

Thank you!

Great photos Jon :clap2:

Hello, thanks very much for the link and the great explanation w/pics!

As for a plant suspected of a virus, i'd segregate it immediately and have it tested.

--Stephen

That Clivia is a variety as well and not the "typical" plain green leaved one...forgot to mention it. It is a faint form of tesselation, and some of them get what's called "seer-sucker" or "dragon's back" patterned when this tesselation gets really intense and the squares inside the criss-crossing veins pucker out giving it an alligator skin type of texture. Mine are still a little young to show this well.

As a side note to variegation...all the different types of variegation have names in chinese. There are way to many to go over so I'll just give a couple examples of common named ones. Marginal variegation is when a green leaf has a white band on the outside edge of a leaf, and medio-variegation being white on the inside of a leaf with a green outside edge. You can also have horizontal bands of lighter green on a dark green leaf and this is called Akebono or tiger uneveness variegation on clivia and neofinetias.

Some variegations caused by virus can be fatal to the plant or cause color breaking on the flowers, others show no adverse effects. Many "old-fashioned" judges still say ALL variegated orchids are infected with tobacco mosaic virus and should be destroyed. I disagree and feel that most are genetic mutations or non-threatning viruses since all the ones I've had show no symptoms even close to being harmful to the plant. Any plant that spontaneously produces variegated growth should be sent to me immediately for further testing...j/k...though getting them tested for virus from a lab would probably be a good idea.

Jon

Great stuff - thanks for the link - I liked the pictorial more though.

Cheers
Stephan

Great Jon, thanks again!
I thought tesselated as well but was a bit confused.

Thanks for very good explanation! Means a lot when your mother-language is not English :wink:

:) Milda :)

One more term: strap-leafed

Anyone (particularly Jon, a.k.a. 'The Man') know what this means, specifically?

--Stephen

Stephan,

Strap Leaved plants are commonly reffered to the Caladiums (one of my favorite non-orchid plants!). The leaves reffer to being flattened with a divide in the middle of the leaf. The best example I can think of is going to be either a true Vanda or for you slipper nuts, a Mexipedium. The leaves are folded in the middle, and are either flattened out or closed together, like in Mexipedium.....

The other example I can offer you is the letter 'V' (The letter 'V' is the section of leaf, looking on a side view when cut from a Vanda, looking down the mid-vein)

Sorry I cannot get a camera, as I would just cut up an old Vanda leaf to show you.....

ttyl,
-PM

When talking Paphs, any multifloral one like rothschildianum with the long, thin, plain green leaves is considered "strap-leaved".
I haven't heard about them being exclusively like ones with the leaves Mahon refers too...but I've always heard it as a real general term.

Jon

Just as Jon said, strap leaves can be generally reffered to those long leves, you will normally find in green-leaved Paphiopedilums (excluding Section Emersonianum).....

Terms can be general sometimes, it all depends in which context it is put in, if talking Vandas, you don't try and find long leaved Vandas, you look for the 'V' shaped ones, but when talking in slippers, you don't look for the 'V' shaped ones..... I don't know, I think its time to sleep....

-PM

Cool, thanks for the help, Jon a PM, I think I'm finally getting a handle on all the terminology.

--Stephen