Mystery Paph

[Vivienne]

Hi there

Am trying to find out information on this plant for a friend of mine. She states that the leaves are pleated. Any thoughts in the general direction of ID... solid green pleated-ish leaves.

[Vivienne]

Here's a better pic of the buds...

[kmarch]

Hi Vivienne,

The pleated leaves don't really have anythign to do with the ID of the plant. This type of pleating in Paph leaves can be caused by a couple of things, many generatins of complex hybridizing (this sort of thing is sometimes seen in exhibition or "bulldog" Paphs) or clochicine treatment which induces polyploidy. There aren't any Paphs with naturally pleated leaves like this.

Based on the look of the inforescence, it's a multi-floral of some kind and has heavy doses of some Coryopetalum Paphs in it. A number of Coryopetalum species have the striping on the bud sheaths so until the buds open it will be difficult to say more.

Cheers!

[Vivienne]

Thanks a bunch Kevin! I knew you'd have some explanations that would help us out!

[sandra]

Are those 3 separate buds on that plant Vivienne? I just finished potting up my paph after it's flower took a hike and I now have a new little bud emerging. I can't tell you how excited this made me. If I had 3 on this one plant, you'd have to lift me up, off the floor.

Here's mine:

[prisana]

Oooooh Sandra..lucky you. New bud already I'm excited for you . It looks like it's loving what you're doing to it. Do you have it outside or inside ?

[Vivienne]

Sandra - just two buds. Can't wait to see it bloom. I'm adopting it after this bloom cycle. Yippee!

Awesome news on your new bud. Exciting!!!

[sandra]

prisana, it's on my patio, screened on 3 sides in indirect, low light. I've been misting this and my phals with the worm tea. I have noticed that all my other non-orchids hate the worm tea and it's been bad for them, especially any fuzzy leaf type plant (african violets and various succulents) but although I'm not 100% convinced yet, I do believe the tea is doing more good than anything for the orchids.

OK Vivienne, 2 buds....you'd still have to lift me up off the floor! I wonder if this one paph I have will eventually start growing 2 buds at once or if it will remain a one-bud-at-a-time plant.

[Vivienne]

Sandra - your Paph is most probably a single bloom paph. One spike, one bloom. Won't change unless and until it has multiple new mature growths that happen to spike at the same time. A lot of them are like that and they're still gorgeous!

[Vivienne]

I ended up adopting this mystery paph a little while after I posted originally. I did do a repot while it was 'in bud' as my friend and I had concern over the 'freshness' of her coir media. Sadly, one of the two buds blasted, but it appears that some of the pleating has been resolved. And now... it has bloomed! Yippee!!

Any thoughts on parentage?

[kmarch]

Vivienne,

I see a few influences... the spotting in the petals are commonly found in suhkahulii hybrids; the hairy petals can come form suk or wardii but can also come from one of the Cochlopetalum Paphs (like moquettianum or glaucophyllum); something about the downswept, subtly S-shaped petals and the huge dorsal suggests to me fairrieanum (possibly); the defined striping in the dorsal also suggests to me fairrieanum but could be a few other things too ....

I'll do a little research and see how close I can get. Stay tuned.....

[Vivienne]

Thanks Kevin! It is a small bloom - 7cm natural spread. Front of pouch is red/burgundy... back is green. It's a darling little thing - great colors! Also remember, this was double budded but one blasted.

[kmarch]

How many buds did you initially say you had on this one inflorescence?

My brain is headed in the direction of Paph Papa Rohl. Here is one pic, and another pic.

The problem with Papa Rohl is that both parents are single-flowered.

It's a little difficult to get an idea fo the true form of the flower because it appears to be just now opening up (?). Maybe in a week, you could post another pic of it more fully open (please)?

The nursery you got it from does not know what it is?

[Vivienne]

Kevin - there were two buds on one inflorescence... one blasted. It opened about 4 days ago so will wait a bit to take a new pic.

I got it from my friend who doesn't have a clue what it is.

[kmarch]

Hmmmm... the 2 buds doesn't fit either fairrieanum or sukhakulii as both of them are single-flowered. There's got to be somethign else in there giving it the extra flower. Well let's wait until the flower is fully open and maybe another pic will help then.

Was one of the buds way ahead of the other as in a sequentially blooming Paph or were they about the same level of development more like your Susan Low?

-K

[Vivienne]

hmmm... while one was a tad bit larger, I would say they would have opened at relatively the same time... not sequentially. Here's a pic of the buds a while back.

[kmarch]

Yeah, I definitely agree with you there. They would have opened at about the same time like your award winner ( ). Those buds look very Corypetalum (roth, philippinense, etc., etc). I'll have to do more work on this one.