Last year I purchased on e-bay (I could not help myself) a plant that was being sold as “Concord” and in the text were some comments that this is a unique concord. In reality I would not call it a Concord.
The image on the left (A and C) are true chimera African violet Concord AVSA Reg. #7807 (Horikoshi/Ozaki). The image on the right (B and D) are what I purchased as Concord on e-bay, for now let’s call it a variant Concord, a pseudo-Concord if you will. The amount of white areas of the variant has considerably more purple faded into the white as compared to the standard Concord. These pictures do not really do the comparison justice but will give the reader a rough idea. Again, Concord AVSA Reg. #7807 (Horikoshi/Ozaki) is letters A and C. The variant Concord is letters B and D. Note B and D are a bit smaller the A and C. Based on weight of the blooms, I estimate about 15% smaller. Also most striking is the the white margins are smaller and bluish as compared to a purer white in the standard Concord.
I tried to find flowers at the same respective stage of being open. Both A and B are fully open and about ready to fade. C and D recently opened and are about the same age. I am currently in the process of quantifying the ratio of purple and white on the petals. Once I have the data collected I will post the results. The bottom line to all of this is that not all Concords are Concords. Acquiring your plants from a reputable and knowledgeable source, like those on the AVSA commercial list is a prudent approach.
