Classification – Putting It All Together

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Female Orchid Classification System

So far, we’ve learned about the highest level of classification, princess or duchess, and a lower level of classification, simplex or complex. This section describes how to use the classification levels together and introduces specific common names for sub-types.

Views of Classification

In classifying items, a popular method is top down. That is from the most general to the specific. In FOCS, within the classification of princess there are two sub-types of simplex or complex. Likewise with duchess. What this is really saying is that a smaller princess orchid can be either simplex or complex. The larger duchess orchid can be either simplex or complex as well, as illustrated below.

An alternate view which is just as valid in FOCS is where the world of orchids is viewed firstly as simplex and complex, then sub-typed by size as illustrated below. This is really saying that simplex orchids can come in the smaller princess variety, or the larger duchess variety.

A third and new view of classification is to assign common names to the various princess-duchess, simplex-complex combinations. This is necessary because there are two specific types of complex orchids that need to be added to the mix to allow for complete classification. Below are the common names assigned to each of the combinations.

Below are examples using common names.

Moonlight “is a” princess-simplex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starlight “is a” princess-complex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunrise “is a” duchess-simplex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset “is a” duchess-complex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two More Complex Types

In addition to the starlight and sunset complex types, there are two additional orchid types that merit categorizing: twilight and thumbalina.

Twilight

An orchid that has the clitoris as the overwhelming large and dominant feature (with glans visible) projecting beyond the arc of the labia majora is a duchess complex with the common name twilight. A twilight orchid may have any size labia, and any combination of bifurcation, ridgeforms, fusions or not. A very large clitoris, medically defined as clitoromegaly, is included in this category. Although this type of orchid is not common, it is prevalent enough for categorization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thumbalina

Orchids may have a rare feature called (labia) mirus which is an additional set or just one additional labium. Typically, the additional labia are small and are found between the lingual sides of the labia minora. The word mirus is Latin for wonderful, astonishing, extraordinary.

An orchid with one or two mirus labium automatically qualifies the orchid as complex and is designated a thumbalina. Thumbalina is a metaphor for the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale about a peasant women who plants barleycorn and thereafter, a tiny girl emerges from the flower.

Labia mirus might be somewhat contentious since these labia originate from the glans stems and therefore could be considered as part of the labia minora. However, considering mirus this way would be to generalize a unique feature and make labia minora comparisons more difficult. To keep with the spirit of FOCS, splendor lies in the details so this type of orchid has its own classification.

Three thumbalina examples follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closing the Loop

Now that we’ve considered the twilight and thumbalina orchid types, the classification of major orchid types is complete. This of course does not preclude other orchid definitions in future. The complete classification list follows.

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