Awards Descriptions : Their
processing
José A. Izquierdo-Rivera
Awards Clerk – Center Secretary
Puerto Rico Judging Center - AOS
Some slides used in this presentation are from Ron McHatton PhD’s
presentation on Descriptions
In the beginning the process was easy …
The Description Process
• From Here
• To Here
The Description Process
From Here
To Here
Let’s review the Award Form to this
point …
• Press firmly you are writing three copies .
• Write legibly.
• Check the award number : make sure it starts with the
current year.
• Include Place and Date of judging event.
• Name of plant as required/regulated by Handbook
• Clonal name if needed
• Previous Awards if any
• Was same inflorescence presented at a previous
judging?
• Comments if and when needed
Name of plant as required/regulated by
Handbook
• The AOS has selected authorities when it
comes to hybrids and species nomenclature:
– In the case of botanical nomenclature , the
names as listed in the World Checklist of Selected
Plant Families.
– In the case of hybrid genera , the names as
accepted and listed by The International Orchid
Register.
World Checklist of Selected Plant
Families
Species awards
• Some require taxonomic
verification and taxonomic
verification is dependent on
nomenclature …
– Taxonomic verification of all
previously not awarded
species is required, no
matter what award is
granted.
– CHMs
– CBRs
– Any species award when a
judge on the judging floor
requests it.
• There are limitation on certain
species awards. Awarding of
species under other name
(synonyms) may render the
award null or may require
additional information to be
provided ( or additional action
by the judging team) for the
awards to stand:
• CBR
• CHM
IN THE CASE OF CBRs AND CHMs
CHECK IF SYNONYMS HAVE BEEN
AWARDED – CHECK ID SPECIES IS
FIRST AWARDS
At AOS we are working hard to get it that when you
search for an awarded plant , synonyms , if available,
do appear in the report.
Check List for Hybrid Names
 With the changes in generic names, there
have been changes in the names of the
intergeneric hybrid combinations:
• Laelia
•
Alliance
• Phalaenopsis •
• Oncidium •
Alliance
•
• Zygopetallu •
m Alliance •
Maxillaria
Lycastes
Vanda
Ascocentrum
Neofinetias
Others
The International Orchid Register
You Can Find the Information in AQ Plus …
Existence of duplicate names
• C. Dayana
(1966) (C.
forbesii x C.
guttata)
• C. Dayana
(1908) (C.
velutina x C.
crispa)
Use: Comments Area or Description Area.
INCLUDE THE CORRECT COMBINATION
Cattleya Dayana
1908
1966
Rhyncattleanthe Love Triangle
Rlc. San Damiano (1) = (Rlc.
Pastushin's Gold x Rlc. Fuchsia
Fantasy)
Rlc. San Damiano (2) (Rlc. Ports of Paradise x
Rlc. Erin Kobayashi)
Seed parent
Pollen parent
Genus
Rhyncholaeliocattle
Cattlianthe
ya
Epithet
San Damiano (1)
Chocolate Drop
Rlc San Damiano
Rlc San Damiano (1)
Rlc San Damiano (2)
Clonal Names
• Respect the assigned clonal names if the
plant has it.
. When can you change a clonal name?
• Not all awards require clonal names. Which
ones do not?
(Genus) American Orchid
Society
(Species/Hybrid) Name of
Award
Clonal Name :
Name of Exhibit (if
available), other
assigned name ,
not needed
THE CASE OF
EXHIBITS AND NON
PLANT AWARDS
Previous Awards to the same clone – Why?
• Upgrade
– Comparison
– Point scoring
TO THE SAME SPECIES
CHM
Significant differences
CBR 6.2.10 Certificate of Botanical Recognition (CBR)
... No award of any kind may have previously been made to the taxon. A taxon
may be granted a second CBR only to correct a clear taxonomic error in the record
and the description of such an award should clearly state the reason for the
second award. Once an award has been cleared it will be allowed to stand,
regardless of subsequent name changes resulting from taxonomic changes or
award challenges
Was same inflorescence presented at a previous
judging?
• 5.3 (5)
…
Once an inflorescence has been judged, it cannot
be judged again on the same flowering; however,
successive flowering or branching inflorescences
may be resubmitted for judging consideration if
previously considered flowers are no longer
present.
…
Comments
• General Rule: It is better to have a short pencil
than a long memory.
–
–
–
–
Previous Awards ( record)
Cut Flower
Previously flowered inflorescence
Taxonomic Verification ( Why? – Specially when not
the obvious reasons?)
– Other in formation that needs to incorporated in
final description ( Like ???)
It’s all metric…
All measurements are in
centimeters only!
When measurements are smaller than 1cm., please
place a 0 before the decimal point. Also, in the case of
whole numbers place a 0 after the decimal point.
Measurements
• Make sure you are using the right scale in the ruler to measure.
• If a majority of the judging team desires, minute flower segments under
0.2 cm may be measured as hundredths of a centimeter (2 decimal
points). Other components of such descriptions should be comparably
accurate.
• Do not leave a space empty. If a segment is too small to measure ,
indicate that fact with a note.
• Make sure you transcribe the correct measurement , specially the correct
dimension.
• The Handbook is your friend: use the definitions set in (7.5.1 ) Overall
Measurement and 7.5.2 (Actual Measurements).
• TEAM CAPTAIN: Review measurements for correctness AND
completeness . JUDGING CHAIR : Review again .
DESCRIPTIONS
• Why? Don’t we have photos available
• Describe as if no photo is available, photos are
not good quality or, photo wont show details.
• Follow AOS Style Standards
What to avoid …
ALL descriptions follow a prescribed format (sequence)
it is NOT the order in which the measurements are taken.
1. Flowers, buds, number of inflorescences
2. Description of plant and container if appropriate
3. Flower base color if appropriate
4. Dorsal sepal (or sepals if taken together)
5. Lateral sepals (or SYNSEPAL) if not included with dorsal sepal
6. Petals
7. Lip including crests, keels and spur
8. Column and anther cap (or staminode)
9. Substance
10. Texture
11. Ovary if noteworthy
12. Floral bracts if noteworthy
13. Rachis is noteworthy
14. Country of origin for botanical awards
15. Verification of identity
16. Any judges comments of note, i.e., ….precluded higher score
Descriptions have one capital letter – the first one
the exception is if proper nouns are included like …….cultivar
dominated by Cattleya parent.
and only one period – at the very end.
The description of plant or flower parts are separated by semi-colons
sepals green; petals yellow; lip white
Thoughts related to the description of a single segment are separated by
commas
sepals green, blotched maroon;
sepals and petals white, petal apices flared magenta;
Taking parts together is fine if it’s appropriate
sepals chartreuse, striped mahogany, synsepal less densely
First, ALL descriptions of awards involving plants with flowers
start with the number of flowers, buds and inflorescences.
Unopened or immature inflorescences are included in
the count.
Err on the side of more information than less
i.e., Sixty-four flowers on one branched
inflorescence, 53 buds on a second inflorescence
and 3 buds on an additional immature
inflorescence
is of much more value to subsequent judges than
Sixty-four flowers and 56 buds on 3
inflorescences
The first case lets the reader know that 64 on an
inflorescence is possible. The latter is 40 per infl.
Use of descriptive qualifiers
In my opinion not used enough –
This is your opportunity to say why you awarded
something – but make sure the words match the
numbers
Three remarkable, flat flowers…..
Five brilliantly colored, eye-catching, flat
flowers on a sharply erect, impressive
inflorescence……………………
Four striking, dramatic flowers………
Sepals and petal electric green
Form modifiers – almost never enough
flowers
full, cupped, cernuate (nodding),
campanulate (bell-like), flat, open or stellate,
etc.
petals porrect, reflexed, inrolled, fused
lip at 90 degrees to floral plane
margins
smooth, crisped, undulate, feathered,
fimbriate or fringed, ruffled, dentate, warted
surfaces
smooth, papilose, scurfid (scaly), pubescent,
hairy
There is a need for an appropriate
vocabulary
A word (or two or three) about hairs
Canescent
Pubescent
Ciliate
Sericeous
Floccose warts
These petals are not
goffered – they are
undulate or wavy
Old-style postage stamps
in sheets have goffered
edges
Goffered edge face-on
Goffering viewed edgeon
Develop the habit to describe flowers consistently
if you describe the sepals and petals in layers beginning with base color
and work out from the colum and add layers, i.e.,
Sepal and petal base color white overlaid
soft pink, proximally peppered darker pink,
medially spotted rose-pink, apically flared dark rosepink
then follow the same order for the lip
lip white, distally overlaid lavender veined
purple
Means something quite different from
lip white veined purple, distally overlaid
lavender
or
lip white, proximally veined purple, distally
overlaid lavender
What’s that in the road, a head? Or What’s that in the road ahead?
Avoid descriptors that are ambiguous without a picture. Which is correct?
petal upper halves coarsely spotted brown-maroon, lower halves less spotted
petal proximal superior halves coarsely spotted maroon, inferior halves less spotted
Distal
Medial
apex
Basal
Proximal
Central
Superior
Inferior
Apical flares
vs.
distal flares
COLORS
ALWAYS keep it simple!
Colors
One of the single biggest sources of confusion in descriptions
two colors, one of which modifies the other are hyphenated
yellow-green, red-brown
fruit and vegetable colors are acceptable and are not hyphenated
lemon yellow, lime green, apple green, grass green
Rose ANYTHING is always hyphenated since ROSE is a color that modifies the
other
Raspberry is NOT a color, it should be raspberry pink or raspberry red, etc.
Cream is not a color – it should be cream-color
Do not use –ish as in greenish-yellow
if you mean that use chartreuse or green-yellow
Use of –y is acceptable and is not hypenated
creamy yellow
Be very careful of ambiguous combinations
rust red – do you mean rust-colored or a color that is rusty red?
Problematic colors!
Most common problems arise with the use of ambiguous
words; Raspberry; wine; amaranth
Can you think of any others?
In some cases , color and/or color distribution can be
considered a fault.
“Cordovan”
This is NOT a green flower…………
To say flowers green; lip yellow is incorrect
It should be sepals and petals green; lip
yellow,……
In a similar fashion, the flower to the right
shouldn’t be described as
flowers red; lip yellow…….
But
sepals and petals red; lip yellow, distally
splashed red, side margins darker yellow;
These flowers aren’t concolor white
Flower base color clear, uniform white; lip side lobes proximally bright
yellow;
This flower is not pristine white. Pristine white
implies pure, unblemished.
Sparkling, bright, clear are all better
descriptors.
It had barring,
spotting &
blotching on
the petals
Don’t use ‘ing’ words!
ALWAYS keep it simple!
Exercise due care
• Style book
– III. COLORS
– VI. AMBIGUITY IN DESCRIPTIONS
• Use colors that can be understood with ease.
Do not go over technical.
• Describe the color in general; do not describe
the minutiae.
Sometimes it is not
that simple
Numbers
• Numbers are always spelled out when they begin a sentence.
• Numbers between 21 and 99 are hyphenated when spelled out.
• The word “and” is not used when writing out large numbers
Example: Nine
Thirty-four
One hundred thirty-four
One thousand three hundred thirty-four
Substance:
This is what you feel
firm, heavy, thin, ephemeral, tissuepaper, rigid
what does average mean?
Texture:
This is what you see
crystalline, satiny, waxy, matte, scurfy
Describe the majority first, then the exception
texture crystalline, lip waxy.
Substance
• Don’t use good, fair, average to describe
substance! Good, fair, and average to what?
Lacks reference.
• DO use a term that substance can be related
to, such as firm, hard, soft, or typical for
species.
Simultaneous Awards
• When allowed
•Documentation
•A separate description for each
award
•Each description specific for award
documented
•Cross reference of awards
MAKE SURE THAT THE DESCRIPTION
INCLUDES THE REQUIRED ELEMENTS
SET FOR THE AWARDS IN THE
HANDBOOK
Can you name them ?
The Handbook is your guide , please check and
make sure you have listed the required
elements for each award described.
CCE, & CCM descriptions need
vegetative measurements, pot/slab size,
and any additional pertinent
information.
Clonal Name is Needed, even if the
plant doesn’t carry it.
CBR & CHM need plant measurement, plus
country of origin.
•CHM needs reason why award was given
•CBR: Why rarity, novelty or educational value
Reminder: Provisional Awards
• Pending Hybrid
Registration
• Pending Taxonomic
Verification
– Reference: Handbook
7.5.3.5 Taxonomic
Verification and
Descriptions
• All CHMs
• All CBR’s;
• The first time a species is
awarded
• When requested by a
judge.
Cut Flower Inflorescences
Award of Quality/ Award of Distinction
AQ must list hybridizer and clonal
names of parents!
AD must list hybridizer.
The Award of Distinction is not
given a cultivar name.
The Award of Quality is not given
a cultivar name.
Spelling
• Check the spelling!!!!
Spelling accounts for many problems in a
description.
Commonly misspelled word: Fuchsia, Chartreuse
Spelling and Preferred Usage
• Reference Part II of the Style Book
– Spike
– Spray
– Stem
– Cane
– Cultivar/Variety
Instead of…..
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cross
Dorsal
Labellum
Pollen cap
Periphery
Secondary stem(s)
Segments
Ventral Sepals
Marking(s)
• Veining
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Parentage
Dorsal sepal
Lip
Anther cap
Margin/edge
Ramicaul(s)
Parts
Lateral sepals
Bars, spots, linear,
blotches, dashes, etc.
• Venation
A Way to Improve the Description :
Tag Lines
• Reference: Description Tag Lines By Catherine R.
Higgins [AQ Plus Forum]
•Helps answer: Why?
•Some judges advocate against their use.
•Useful: CBR, CHM, AQ, AD, Upgrades to Flower Quality
awards to same clone, Upgrades to Cultural Awards to
same clone
Rhyncattleanthe Love Avenue (syn. Potinara)
'Serenade', HCC – AM /AOS
• HCC/AOS Granted: October 9,
2009
• AM/AOS Granted October 2,
2010
Edit…
1- Added “erect” 2- Changed: "sepals and
petals cream; lip cream overlaid purple,
heavily striped purple" to "flowers
cream; lip overlaid light purple, heavily
striped purple"
THE PHOTO IS PART OF THE
DESCRIPTION
• Make sure the photographer gets his/her copy of
the award form.
• Make sure the photographer takes the required
images before plant is released to owner.
• Communicate with the photographer !!!
Coordinate if additional images are needed.
– Cultural awards ( complete plant , individual flowers )
– SITF
Make Sure that:
• The correct award seal is attached .
• The Team Captain has signed the form.
• That the correct award and corresponding score
is recorded.
– Check for Point Spread
– Check for Average
– In the case of no point scoring, check that the correct
number of judges voted for the granting of the award .
AND SPECIALLY
• Make sure that the exhibitor
record is complete and up-todate
–Specially the email address
Finally
• Attach the ballots to the award
form and hand the COMPLETE
record ( all awards forms and
ballots and the completed
attendance sheet ) to the
designated person so he/she can
process it.
Questions? Doubts?
Always refer to the AOS
“Handbook on Judging
and Exhibition”
Teamwork will make the difference