| To add to the information already presented, these huge flowered Paph cultivars are called standard-complex hybrids. They originate from the late 1800's and Paph Leeanum (insigne x spicerianum) and Paph Lathamianum (spicerianum x villosum). In the process of interbreeding these plants repeatedly with their parents Paph Christopher 'Grand Duke Nicholas' (1902) resulted. GDN was a huge flower and started the standard-complex craze.
According to Koopowitz, GDN was the parent of 129 registered grexes and figures in the ancestory of 9000+ hybrids.
Until the 1980's these standard-complex hybrids were wildly popular. People tired of them and returned to interests in species (many newly discovered) and primary hybrids. Many, like me, came along after the standard-complex craze was over and find these sort of grotesque, but their popularity recently has increased.
All in all, a standard-complex Paph is a huge flower, heavily bred for show. Usually there is not a species plant in the first 6 generations or more of the pedigree. They may return to popularity, but not likely for me. I find them too weird.  |