What is my paph?

[Vivienne]

I so wish I knew what this Paph was called. If it resembles any species then that is probably what it is. I call it Tina since my friend Tina gave it to me a year ago. This is it's second bloom since last May.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Vivienne

I so wish I knew what this Paph was called. If it resembles any species then that is probably what it is.

It's tough because there are so many Maudiae-types. I see a fair bit of callosum influence. Maybe I can tell better when it is fully open.

[Vivienne]

Originally Posted by kmarch

It's tough because there are so many Maudiae-types. I see a fair bit of callosum influence. Maybe I can tell better when it is fully open.

Here you go Kevin... fully opened.

[kmarch]

Hmmm, I just don't know. I've been giving this some thought. I really don't think it is a species callosum. Paph callosum typically has a very large flag-like dorsal. These days, because the species has been line bred, a lot of callosums have these huge dorsals:

like this
or this

I mean I suppose there's a chance it is (impossible to be certain from just a photo) a callosum and it just happens to have a tiny dorsal. The petals do exhibit some twisting that some callosums have....

Maybe Matt has an opinion.

P.S. I seperated this out from the "Orchids du jour" thread.

[Vivienne]

Thanks Kevin. And I was wondering just when it was I made this post. LOL

Would it help any to tell you that this plant is probably 8 years old? My friend did say something about callosum back when she gave it to me. When you say these days... how long back are we talking?

[kmarch]

The fact that it is 8 years old suggests to me that this is not the first bloom, so....this makes me think it is less likely that it is a species callosum. Sometimes the first bloom of an orchid isn't necessarily its best bloom. In the case of paphs this translates into the first bloom sometimes not having the biggest dorsal or the longest petals, etc., etc., etc. But we're not talking baby paph in your case. Probably a callosum hybrid.

[Vivienne]

Thanks Kevin. No, not the first bloom. I've had the plant since Feb 2007 and this is its second bloom for me. Looks like there may be another coming in shortly as well. Yippee!

[kmarch]

Nice. Yeah the great thing about these species and hybrids from the Barbata Section is that many of them clump and bloom and clump and bloom. My Paph wardii is in spike now for the third time in a year (it was in spike when I got it, so I guess that is spiking every 6 months or so on average).

Enjoy it! I know you will!

[jbigio]

Vivienne
Take a look at Paph Red maude or Paph callosum ' peens creek' very close

[kmarch]

jbigio, unless a very distinctive species or possibly a hybrid clone, orchids can't be ID'd by comparing pictures, especially with a complex hybrid like Paph Red Maude which exhibits a gread deal of variation to the point where one example doesn't look like another.

Read all my comments above regarding callosum to see why Viv's paph is probably not a straight callosum species.

[jbigio]

Didn't ID it just said they're close