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Friday, March 23, 2012

Phragmipedium kovachii







Phragmipedium kovachii was first discovered in Northern Peru in 2001 but was described and published in June 2002. It was named after Michael Kovach. The discovery was considered to a very important for orchid species in the past 100 years.

It is a terrestrial orchid growing at an elevation of 1600 to 1950 meters in tropical cloud forests. The NS of the flower can reach 20 cm across with dark pink or royal purple in colour.


Note: These flowers photos were taken at an orchid show and the plants do not belong to me.


















Saturday, March 17, 2012

TIOS 2012 - Paph hybrids

Paph Tzeng's Miracle. Hybrid between Paph Bruno x Paph Sheila.


Paph S. Gratrix x Paph anitum Sunlight #1.
This plant was awarded AM/AOs (86 points).



Paph Lisa Hasegawa. Hybrid between Paph Delrosi x sanderianum.



Paph Royal Wedding. Hybrid between Paph Transvaal x Paph niveum)



Paph Michael Koopowitz. Hybrid between Paph philippinense x Paph sanderianum.



Paph Green Horizon. Hybrid between Paph Makuli x Paph philippinense).


Paph fanaticum. A natural hybrid between Paph micranthum and Paph malipoense.



Paph M. Larry Heuer. Hybrid between Paph emersonii x Paph malipoense.



Paph Shun-Fa Golden. Hybrid between Paph hangianum x Paph malipoense.



Paph Kevin Porter. Hybrid between Paph bellatulum x Paph micranthum.



Paph Stone Lovely. A complex hybrid between Paph Elfstone x Paph Autumn Gold.



Paph Ho Chi Minh x Paph Lady Isabel.



Paph Golden Africa. Hybrid between Paph Transvaal x Paph Wellessleyanum.



Paph Pulsar x Paph Wenshanese.

A completely black paph is not very far off.





Paph Vintage Venus. Hybrid between venustum x Paph Vintage harvest. This plant was awarded FCC/AOS (90 points).




Paph Wossner China Moon. Hybrid between armeniacum x Paph hangianum.



Paph Memoria Joe Koss. A complex hybrid between Paph Valwin x Paph Raven.



Paph Bruno Model. Hybrid between Paph Leeanum x Paph spicerianum.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Taiwan International Orchid Show (TIOS) 2012 - species

Paph sanderianum:
This is one of the most amazing plants in the world with the longest petal. Petal's length could tip over a 1 meter long.They are found in the island of Borneo.



Paph wilhelminae.
This species is closely related to Paph praestans but much smaller in plant. White background on the sepals with very dark mahogany stripes.



Paph glandiliferum var. praestan.
The flower is very much like Paph philippinense but with larger and more upright sepal. The heavily twisted petals are spread out at 45 degrees downwards. Bright yellow flower with dark brown longitudinal stripes.



Paph charlesworthii Miao Hua Star.:

Dark brown petals and pouch with a contrasting bright magenta dorsal sepal.

This plant was awarded FCC by AOS. The total point score was 90 points.

This plant exhibited has an extremely large and veined magenta dorsal. The petals are lined with dark mahogany veins. Very outstanding flower

Paph hangianum Nei Shan #17.

A recent and significant discovered species that occurs around China and Northern Vietnam borders. The importance of this species lies in the huge flower. Flowers reaching 15 cm across the NS is common and very ideal to make primary hybrids with the others from the Parvisepalum Alliance. The striking flower is fragrant and exudes a sweet perfume.


Paph hangianum.

Paph vietnamense Crown #5.

Another spectacular species from the Parvisepalum Alliance. The leaves of this species are marked with heavy tessellation against a silvery background.






Paph venustum.
This species has the honor of being the first tropical slipper orchid to be described in 1820.


Paph tranlienianum Chouyi..


Paph glaucophyllum var. moquetteanum.
Bright and large greenish yellow dorsal sepal. The pouch is bright pink with dark pink spots. This beautiful plant exhibited was awarded a very high AM/AOS (88 points).



Paph chamberlainianum.
RHS accepts this name for the registration. Dark blotch radiates from the base of the dorsal with dark veins running towards the top. Pink pouch with prominent spots.

This plant exhibited was awarded AM/AOS (81 points).


Paph primulinum.
Usually albino plants are rare but not for this species. They bloom sequentially from the same stalk. Steam can remain for a long period, producing flowers in succession with each bloom lasting for several weeks. This plant exhibited has two flowers that opened at the same time.



Thursday, March 15, 2012

March 2012

Paph Mint Chocolate:
A primary hybrid between Paph malipoense and Paph godefroyae. This hybrid originated from Orchid Zone and was registered in 1994.
Two flowers on one inflorescence. Sepals and petals are pale mint green and heavily viened with fine burgundy tesellations. The NS and DS for the two flowers are 100/90 and 60/55 mm respectively.



Paph godefroyae fma leucochilum:
The base colour is cream white. Both the sepals and petals are heavily marked with dark burgundy tesellations. Pouch is sparsely spotted burgundy. The NS and DS are 80 and 55 mm respectively.


Paph godefroyae fma leucochilum:

Petals and sepals creamy yellow colour. Dorsal and petals heavily spotted with burgundy spots.


Paph godefroyae var. angthong album:
Flower looks very similar to the Paph godefroyae alba.



Paph godefroyae f. album:

All parts of the flower clear white flower and one bud with contrasting yellow staminode. The NS and DS are 54 and 45 mm respectively.



















Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Paph Muriel Constance and White Sturgeon

Paph Muriel Constance:
A hybrid between Paph Greyi and bellatulum and was registered by Nick Tannaci in 1991.
One slightly cupped flower on one inflorescence; dorsal sepal slightly hooded, pale cream colored, lightly covered with fine burgundy spots; petals pale cream colored, overlaid with fine burgundy spots; pouch and staminode pale yellow colored, overlaid with finely spotted burgundy. The back of the sepals are completely over laid with find burgundy spots. Very light green tessellated leaves.
This hybrid when back cross with one of its parents (Paph bellatulum), produces a nice and dark hybrid called Paph Memoria Hirohisa Kawai.

Paph White Sturgeon:
A hybrid between Paph Conco-bellatulum (Paph concolor x bellatulum) and Paph Muriel Constance (Paph Greyi x bellatulum). It originated from Nick Tannaci and was registered in 2003 by a Japanese grower. If you look at the family tree of this hybrid, it has concolor, bellatulum, niveum and godefroyae in it. I am not sure why White Sturgeon was chosen. Perhaps it looked like White Sturgeon when it was registered. Sturgeon roes are harvested and made into a luxury food called caviar.
This hybrid was grown from flask and resembles more like Paph wenshanese which is a natural hybrid between Paph concolor and bellatulum. Sepals, petals and pouch are white. The dorsal sepal is covered with burgundy spots. The petals are overlaid with burgundy spots on most part of it. Smaller spots and tiny fine dots on some part of the oval-shaped pouch. NS 65 mm, DS 42 mm.

Monday, February 6, 2012

OSSEA February 2012 Table Display




Display of Slipper Orchids.

Phrag besseae:
A single well balanced and flat flower. The dorsal sepal and symmetrical petals are orange red. Pouch light yellow, veined dark orange between the windows.
A very well grown plant with several buds. This was the first time that this species was brought to the Monthly Table Display.


Phrag Peruflora's Saltimbanco (Phrag kovachii x boisserianum):
Phrag kovachii is about the most amazing orchid discovery of the last one hundred years. The horizontal spread can reach an amazing 20 cm across.
Several hybrids were made with Phrag kovachii over the last few years and hopefully these hybrids would be much easier to cultivate. This hybrid was grown and exhibited by David Ng.
Single flower from 1 inflorescence with ruffled petals. The pouch, tessellated dorsal sepal and petals are light violet over the white base. This hybrid takes the colour of kovachii and the shape of P. boisserianum.

Phrag longifolium:
Longifolium means "Long-Leaved". A variable species that are found in Central America.
Single flower with creamy green dorsal sepal, veined with maroon vertical stripes. Petals are apple green and veined on the fringe and underside of the petals. Large synsepal (in proportion to the DS) light cream and overlaid with vertical maroon stripes. Light green pouch and inner surface is speckled with spots.

Paph vejvarutianum:
An uncommon species that was described by Olaf Gruss in 2003. The are found in the eastern part of Thailand (Kanchanaburi). This species was in existence for many years in culture as P. charlesworthii fma kanchanaburi until it was described in 2003 and elevated to the species level. This species is closely related too, and resembles barbigerum.
Paph concolor var. longipetulum:

A species that is very widespread and can be found in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Loas, Vietnam, Yunnan Province and SW China. Plants can be found at elevation ranging from 90 to 1000 meters. They are found to be growing in bright, indirect sunlight with their roots in moss or leafy humus. A species that adapts well to our local weather.

This long and narrow petals with mid line maroon stripe variety is known as var. longipetulum. The sulphur yellow flower is finely spotted purple, both the petals are flexed backwards, nice proportional pouch that is lightly spotted on almost the entire pouch. Paph Susan Booth gx Nathaniel's Cilicia Group (Paph rothschildianum x praestans):

A very well grown hybrid which produces two inflorescences. Each spike carries two flowers. The plant was registered by Don late last year. The plant is exhibited by the registrant of this hybrid himself.

The creamy sepal is heavily striped mahogany, petals with prominent marginal black warts and mahogany pouch. The evenly twisted petals follow the parent of P. praestans. The strong influence of the dark colour could have been from P. gardinerii . P. gardinerii is one of the forms from the glanduliferum group. The others in the group are praestans and wilhelminae. If it was crossed with praestans, usually it is lighter colour, with wilhelminae it is even lighter. The original crossing of Paph Susan Booth made many years ago was very dark.

Paph Bruno (Paph Leeanum x spicerianum):

A very old hybrid that was made in the 1890s. The cross is between Paph Leeanum (Paph insigne x spicerianum) and Paph spicerianum. A hybrid that could easily be passed on a Paph spicerianum as this progeny has 75% of spicerianum in it.

A very well grown specimen paph exhibited by Don with 5 flowers on 5 inflorescences borne on a 7-growth plant. Dorsal sepal is white with light green blotch at its base, light maroon at the mid line. Petals are yellow-green with light mahogany fading from the top towards the bottom of the pouch.