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.

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.

Paph Benkei and niveum.

Paph niveum:
Base colour white with finely spotted red-purple across the whole flower including the pouch. The NS of the flower is 65 mm across.

Paph Benkei:

A hybrid between Paph S.Gratrix (Paph bellatulum x Paph godefroyae) and Paph godefroyae that was registered in 2004. This hybrid could easily be passed on as Paph godefroyae. Cream-coloured and round flower, sepals and petals heavily spotted burgundy. The NS and DS are 75 and 45 mm respectively.

Paph Song of Love

Paph Song of Love:
A primary hybrid between Paph lowii and Paph liemianum that was registered in 1991. A sequential bloomer that takes after the parent of Paph liemianum.
Two pastel lavender and olive green flowers and one bud on one 35 cm inflorescence. The plant is growing in SH (semi hydro) and can take warm and hot temperatures. A hybrid that is very suitable to grow locally.

OSSEA January 2012 Table Display

A Happy New Year to all fellow Slipper orchid growers. Here are some of the slipper orchids that were brought to the OSSEA Monthly Table Display.

Paph lowii:

A species that has one of the widest ranges for Paphiopedilum orchids. Range stretches from Borneo to Malaysia Peninsula, Celebes, Sumatra and Java. It can be found growing epiphytically on tress in thick mosses or leaf humus or it lithophytic in mosses or humus filled pockets on rocks. A large plant with multi floral scapes.

The plant exhibited has a single long Inflorescence, 3 Flowers and 1 bud. Dorsal sepal yellow-green, flushed and veined, center blushed grey-purple. Petal has large spots. Pouch grey-yellow.

Paph tonsum:

An intermediate species that is found growing on limestone cliff cracks filled with leaf litter. They are found in Sumatra at an elevation of 1000 to 1800 meters. The area is subjected to frequent rains from summer to fall and heavy rains from winter to spring.

One symmetrical flower on one inflorescence; sepals light green, veined darker green and purple; petals light green overlaid and veined tan, spotted dark brown, spots surrounded by prominent halos; pouch light green overlaid and veined tan and texture is glossy.

Paph dayanum:

An intermediate to warm growing species that is found in Mt Kinabalu at an elevation of between 300 to 1500 meters.

One well-carried flower, upright inflorescences borne on a robust plant with 4 growths; sepal white, veined green; petals have shading bronze green centrally, becoming pale rose distally, veined green throughout; pouch is overlaid pale brown and veined.

Paph armeniacum:

Paphiopedilum armeniacum is also commonly called the Golden Slipper Orchid. It is also one of the three yellow colour paphs. The plant size is small compared to other paphiopedilum species. Paphiopedilum armeniacum is found in South West China at elevations between 1000 to 2000 meters. It grows on limestone cliffs and slopes. Growers normally keep this plant in baskets since rhizomes produce growths away from mother plant.

Single golden yellow flower on long stem, with good waxy substance and sheen. Pouch very round and bulbous. There is a slight twist at the top of the dorsal sepal.

Paph Grehang:

A hybrid between Paph Greyi (godefroyae x niveum) and godefroyae. One well-balanced flower; sepals and petals yellow, almost three-quarters veined with maroon tessellation; pouch deeper golden yellow; flat petals.

Paph Mint Chocolate:

A primary hybrid between Paph malipoense and godefroyae. One full flower on a single inflorescence; sepals and petals pale mint green heavily overlaid with fine maroon spots; fat pouch evenly pale mint green; column pale mint green with almost solid maroon veins.

Paph Kiryu:

A primary hybrid between Paph armeniacum and godefroyae. One well-balanced flower; sepals and petals yellow, almost three-quarters sprinkled with maroon spots; pouch deeper golden yellow; flat petals.

Phrag Jason Fischer:

A beautiful hybrid between Phrag Memoria Dick Clements and Phrag besseae. One striking crimson flower and one bud on a sturdy, erect inflorescence; pouch overlaid with crimson and rim interior buttery yellow.