Leo Schordje
wilted blossom
I have in bloom a division of a clone of Paph curtisii from California, Paph. curtisii 'Philip'.
I also have in bloom a seedling of Paph superbiens from Matt Gore.
Here are the two side by side
So the debate goes on. They are blooming at the same season, they have VERY similar color patterns and shapes. The only obvious difference is in how the dorsal's lower edge rolls back a touch on the plant labelled superbiens, giving a slightly more open look between the dorsal & the petals than in the curtisii clone. I would be inclined to say these are both the plants of the same species. Which ever name you choose. But I don't know my taxonomy that well. AND there has been a lot of confusion and mixing over the last 150 years that these have been in cultivation. Both plants I believe are seed raise, so the provenance is murky at best.
Back in the 1980's I had bought imported Paph curtisii from Ray Rands. Those plants bloomed quite different from either plant pictured here. And quite different from most images I have seen of curtisii. They had much shorter petals, that stood out more, rather than down. And the color pattern was over all much less brown. I think those were 'true' curtisii. But sadly they did not persist. I was a novice at gowing then and lost them about the time that CITES slammed the door shut on all imports of jungle material. I wish I had known then that those would be impossible to replace, I might have taken better care of them. The lesson is to cherish and preserve any orchid that you think may be of wild origin.
My final thought is, with the note about the curtisii I no longer posess, the both plants above are likely what used to be called superbiens. Now I know Cribb has reduced these to synonmy and called them both curtisii. But I think he did not see the material that Rands had imported in the late 1970;s & early 1980's. If I show either plant, I will let the local judging center call it which ever of the two names they want. It is a confused mess, and it is beyond me to try to straighten it out.
Enjoy the pictures and if anyone has one of those old Rands imports - post a picture please.
I also have in bloom a seedling of Paph superbiens from Matt Gore.
Here are the two side by side
So the debate goes on. They are blooming at the same season, they have VERY similar color patterns and shapes. The only obvious difference is in how the dorsal's lower edge rolls back a touch on the plant labelled superbiens, giving a slightly more open look between the dorsal & the petals than in the curtisii clone. I would be inclined to say these are both the plants of the same species. Which ever name you choose. But I don't know my taxonomy that well. AND there has been a lot of confusion and mixing over the last 150 years that these have been in cultivation. Both plants I believe are seed raise, so the provenance is murky at best.
Back in the 1980's I had bought imported Paph curtisii from Ray Rands. Those plants bloomed quite different from either plant pictured here. And quite different from most images I have seen of curtisii. They had much shorter petals, that stood out more, rather than down. And the color pattern was over all much less brown. I think those were 'true' curtisii. But sadly they did not persist. I was a novice at gowing then and lost them about the time that CITES slammed the door shut on all imports of jungle material. I wish I had known then that those would be impossible to replace, I might have taken better care of them. The lesson is to cherish and preserve any orchid that you think may be of wild origin.
My final thought is, with the note about the curtisii I no longer posess, the both plants above are likely what used to be called superbiens. Now I know Cribb has reduced these to synonmy and called them both curtisii. But I think he did not see the material that Rands had imported in the late 1970;s & early 1980's. If I show either plant, I will let the local judging center call it which ever of the two names they want. It is a confused mess, and it is beyond me to try to straighten it out.
Enjoy the pictures and if anyone has one of those old Rands imports - post a picture please.