Paphs - mottled vs. solid green leaves

[taradale]

I was just wondering if the solid green leaf Paphs are much more sensitive than the mottled leaf ones?

I'm checking out some other Paphs to buy and noticed that the solid green leaf Paph's seem to have more variety in their flower - bolder colors, more dramatic petal variations (could be my imagination and limited knowledge of Paphs - plus I don't own these and the grass is always greener on...).

All I've been able to find out is the green leaf types prefer it a tad bit warmer.

Thanks!

Kath-

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Paphs come in families. The Brachypetalums and the Parvisepalums are the ones with mottled leaves and relatively round flowers. I suppose some of the others may be mottled too, I can't rule it out. Here is a site that you may find interesting. It is broken down by families (subdivisions?) and gives flower photos for most. http://www.mendelu.cz/arboretum/orchids/taxonomy.html Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[jerrymeola]

For a very non-scientific answer, I also feel that mottled Maudie types (Paphs with Paph Maudie in their genes) have less variation in color being almost all variations on purple.

My more general grouping, rather than Cynthia's scientific breakdown, is the result of commercial growing rather than species variety. A great many (almost all in Florida) of mottled leaves are pruple variation flowers, that are so similar that I have to read the tag to see if they are different. It is just that the growers were working with the same parentage for hybrids. It takes up to nine years to bloom a paph from seed and that makes a lot of plants available with very little difference. Most will not be remade with growers concentrating on the few with the best characteristics.

[kmarch]

Dear Taradale,

Paphs generally fall into 2 categories: The intermediate-warm growing Paphs and the cool growing Paphs.

The intermediate to warm growing Paphs are the mottled-leaf and large multi-floral green-leaf varieties. They like minimum temps around the 60-65F range. All your Maudiae types fall into this category (they too are considered mottled-leafed) as do your large green-leafed multiflorals like rothschildianum. The Brachypetalum Paphs Cynthia mentioned do seem to like a bit of cool in order to bloom.

The cool growing Paphs are the complex hybrids (or exhibition Paphs) and other green-leaf varieties. They can comfortably tolerate lows of 50-60F. Examples of species include villosum and insigne and an example of a complex hybrid is the famous Paph Winston Churchill.

Cooler temperatures, as low as 40F can be tolerated for shorter periods of time for most all Paphs but the plants will probably stop growing until it gets warmer again. As a rule-of-thumb, temps below the recommended ranges slow growth. Also, care must be taken to protect the plants from rot when on the cool side. Keep humidity low, and do not let water stand on leaves or in the crowns of the plants.

Hope this is helpful.

-Kevin