Oncidium Midas 'Willow Pond'

Oncidium Midas 'Willow Pond'

This cheery yellow oncidium is actually one of the older hybrids I've yet written about.  Oncidium Midas was registered in 1940, as a cross between Oncidium Ascania and Oncidium Reve d'Or.  The clone 'Willow Pond' has earned the AM/AOS distinction.  This oncidium resembles the tolumnia orchids--the small, compact plant body produces an abundance of flowers.

Oncidium Midas genealogy

If any of this genealogy tree looks familiar, that is because Oncidium Reve d'Or is also a significant contributor to the genealogy of Oncostele Wildcat. These are old crosses, and neither Oncidium Ascania, nor Oncidium Reve d'Or are popularly grown anymore.  But perhaps what is more curious is that Oncidium Midas, a cross made 76 years ago, is still widely available.


Another interesting find in this history tree is my new record for the oldest Oncidium cross ever.  Take a look at Oncidium Excellens--it was registered in 1891!

Oncidium Excellens (hybrid from 1891)

Image credit: by F. Sander, 1892. (Wikimedia commons image)

Back to Oncidium Midas. There are 5 Oncidium species which went into the creation of this cross: luteopurpureum, nobile, alexandre, spectatissimum, and harryanum.  

Progenitors of Oncidium Midas

Photo credits: 

Oncidium harryanum by Diego Rodriguez (Flickr gallery)

Oncidium alexandre  and Oncidium spectatissimum by Orchi

Oncidium nobile by Quimbaya (Flickr gallery)

Oncidium luteopurpureum by Dick Culbert (Flickr gallery)

Note: Oncidium alexandre is also commonly referred to as Oncidium crispum.