Paphiopedilum (Paphiopedilum insigne)

Paphiopedilum
Paphiopedilum insigne

A close-up of the flower

My heart is comming out......... the bloom is so lovely.
Kaleem

What a beauty, Todd!!

That photo is worthy of a calendar Todd! Stunning!

This message was edited Dec 25, 2005 2:03 PM

A piece of black-painted plywood certainly comes in handy!

Todd paphs are my favourite orchid, but they don't seem to want to grow for me, I have others that do well. Had a gorgeous paph with variegated leaves, sort of squares between lines, amazing flowers. It reflowered, but poss didn't like the medium it was in, a compacting bark mix, and gradually petered out before I got to repot it. Got a lovely fern grow in the pot though! I've lost one, another couple have been hanging on (just) for a few years, I wonder if I would do better to start with a young plant, my encyclia cochleata was a gift as a small plant, it grew well and is just coming with a 2nd lot of flowers.

I keep them in my kichen/dining room, plenty of humidity in our climate mostly, the temps are ideal, could you pass on some tips? I have repotted the surviving 2 into my own leafy mix, but still struggling.

Do you know I had always wondered how those black backgrounds were done, but I found my camera makes the background black anyway if taken in a dull spot with the flash, and gives a perfect colour. Great photo.

My Paphs grow in an east window, temps 15-20 C winter, 20-25 C summer. I repot at least every two years using fine to medium bark, a bit of promix and some perlite. I've lost my share over the years...regular repotting is the key as they go downhill rapidly once the media starts to decompose.

My temps are the same, and the east window too! I have read the bark goes sour, perhaps they will pick up, or if I am going to try any more then get some from a specialist nursery as young plants. Thanks, I had thought these were easy but not so, the conditions should suit as they grow in leafy understory in nature I think. I have a cattleya that is always flowering and is rampant, scented too, in the morning it fills the room.
But pahps are somehow interesting.

wallaby, keep wondering if you have pics. I am a visual rememberer and I'd like to see the orchids you mentioned (variegated paph, encyclia, scented catleya).

OK boojum, yes I do, but not of the paph, I think I have it on a 35mm film not developed, or in a drawer somewhere, since I got my digi that film is still in the camera! Since died unfortunately, really sad about that. my neighbour took one on his digi of the first flowers (had a 2nd lot), and I have an A4 of the flower, but the old scanner doesn't go on my new computer (10 years old and out of date), but could take a digi of it, only maybe.

Here's the encyclia in PF

http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/93358/

this is an oncidium Aloha I am waiting to go on PF, got ID from Todd (sorry for the hijack Todd)

the cattleya at early stage of flowering, I bought it as no particular cultivar so can't put in PF unless can be identified. The flower sprays grow longer and had 8, one from either side of the 4 new growths. The colour is less strong than in the pic, it was it's 3rd flowering, second since I bought it, and quickly reflowers, the new growths just romp away. It must have flowered for easy 5 months this time.

I also have a brassia Rising Star from a young plant, has a huge new growth which should flower soon, a dendrobium Emma type beautiful deep maroon purple with a sheen, again photo somewhere on 35mm, but it has shed all its leaves and looks 'done for' but not dead, a phaelonopsis with greenish yellow flowers and purple/maroon circular flecks, this is its 3rd flowering coming up so will get a digi of it, two spikes getting long now. have an amazing Miltonia with the deepest maroon with very striking white patterning, photo on 35mm, the plant died back after growing up to 10 new shoots, all but one tubercule? with a side shoot have died off, hopefully it will grow on. A very robust zygopetalum, really amazing flowers, think scented too, hasn't flowered again but keep hoping, they say need light but it gets reasonable light. Also a cymbidium bought reduced a few years ago, it was in soggy foam with bark on top and rotted but saved a tiny new growth, it looks big enough to flower now and has had its cold autumn chill, the flowers are creamy white with a strong maroon lip. I had to stop collecting, the window, table etc was getting overload, and lots of competition from 'other' plants.

A close up of the oncidium

Wallaby, the 'cattleya' you show is actually some sort of Miltonia....I will see if I can get a name.

The Miltonia looks very similar to M. clowesii....if not then a hybrid derived from it.

Thanks Todd, they label them wrongly, these mostly come from the growers co-operative in Holland. I have two garden centres near me and have seen a big double trailer go from one to the next, I think it's the Boskoop growers. It would be nice to know.

Have you seen this link on google? it says they open in long succession, true, but only very few at a time, untrue, also 2" tall flowers, these are smaller, poss 1.25" but none now to measure! Colour is not quite right, but as you said could be a hybrid. Perhaps I should post it on the ID forum?

http://mirandaorchids.com/species30clowesiiVGA.htm

Here's a closer view

This link gives hybrid names, possibly not pictures

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miltonia#Especies_Miltonia

Its a beauty for sure...and at closer inspection, a hybrid no doubt. It may be VERY difficult to get a positive ID. If you like, post if for ID on the Orchid forum.

Thanks Todd, I think that's the best idea, someone might have one with a name! it does have a delicious scent, but mostly only in the morning.

while looking around for a Miltonia look-alike, I came across a paphiopedilum that looks nearly identical to mine that no longer is. The only difference is the two side petals, they were a little narrower, with wavy edges, perhaps a little longer and downward pointing. The leaves look the same as far as I can see, they have darker lines running lengthways with rectangular darker shapes between,

http://www.beautifulorchids.com/orchids/orchids_potted/paphiopedilum/paphiopedilum_deepred.html

Nice orchids, wallaby. Thanks for posting them. Now I get the picture! That paph is outstanding!