paph Rolfei

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Paph Rolfei is notorious for being difficult to bloom. I'm hoping the easier to bloom modern Paph rothchildianums help this problem. I've known growers that have had Paph Rolfei and not been able to bloom them for over 10 years. They do seem to grow well!
 
Gilda, I think there is a few postings in a thread I started regarding this problem. It appears that all of the Multi florals crosses with a brachy that you see on the net or in books are the ones that flower. As in previous thread, a commercial nurseryman in Taiwan who has bred this line many times told me that he will never do it again. He has thousands of the seedlings in his nursery up to 5 years old and some better that won't flower. When he needs the space they all go in the trash can. The only way to have a plant flowering in the type of crossing is to but a known flowerer. It may cost more but you know it flowers. I have enquired with many growers with these plants and non can offer flowering advice, cause they can't do it either. This nuseryman has P.roths flowering within 4 years from flask and wont be doing the roth - brachy crosses anymore, the word about is that roth etc crossed parvi can be as difficult. ( need not be roth either, any multi florals crossed)
Roy
 
Concerning Paph. Rolfei, I believe a most of the ones that have been so difficult to bloom had rothschildianum as the pod parent. Try to locate ones that have bellatulum as the pod parent and you will find them much easier to bloom.
 
consettbay2003 said:
Concerning Paph. Rolfei, I believe a most of the ones that have been so difficult to bloom had rothschildianum as the pod parent. Try to locate ones that have bellatulum as the pod parent and you will find them much easier to bloom.
The one I have ,has roth as the pod parent...oh well...
the pictures I have seen of Paph Roflei , they are soooo beautiful ! What X's resembles Rolfei but is easy to bloom ?
 
Gilda, when you have that impossible $1,000,000 question answered could you please let us all know. I would love to flower them as well. The way it is by comments made, who ever succeeds in producing the right cross will make a fortune.
As a note, a grower here made the cross, P. parishii x Golddollar. The flowers aren't exactly brilliant but they ARE yellow with maroon stripes and up to 4 flowers open at the one time. I have 3 or 4 of these that should flower this year. I will post pics when they do. They seem to flower readily and off small plants.
 
consettbay2003 said:
Concerning Paph. Rolfei, I believe a most of the ones that have been so difficult to bloom had rothschildianum as the pod parent. Try to locate ones that have bellatulum as the pod parent and you will find them much easier to bloom.

This is correct. I think a lot of hope was lost with these hybrids as Rolfei, Woluwense and Daisey Barclay were known for multi-growth but not to flower often, if ever at all.

The new generation will fix this in my opinion. The brachy or parvi should also be used as a pod parent.

I recently re-made Woluwense with a 4N niveum as the pod parent. The first one bloomed in 3 years out of flask on a 2 growth plant. I'll start a new thread with this picture posted (as soon as I find the pic!).

Jason
 
I have a 4-growth Paph. rolfei I bought last October in spike now. I think it needs bright light and warmth to flower well.

Yuri
 
Roy,

No, it wasn't in flower when I bought it; it's a seedling with this its first bloom (provided the spike survives to blooming).

Yuri
 
Thanks, Roy! I'll be happy to post pics if the inflorescence survives to flowering. I was mistaken when I described the plant as having four growths; it has one mature growth and two new growths. It's definitely a (very healthy) first-bloom seedling. I was thinking of another plant when I wrote that. Unfortunately, I have no idea which species was the pod parent and which the pollen parent.

Yuri
 
Paph. Rolfei Pic

HHere's a pic of my Rolfei in bloom. Only one flower has opened so far but I wanted to get a picture of it in case something happened to it. Rolfei has such a bad rep as a bloomer. This is a first-bloom seedling. Please excuse the poor picture quality; I was in a bit of a hurry.
 

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That's gorgeous! I'm envious. I've got a couple growth one that hasn't bloomed yet either. I guess I won't hold my breath. But, I bloomed a 6 growth Delrosi this year, so I'll cross my fingers on this one.
 
I guess the good news is that bellatulum was the mother. I looked at the tag today and it was one I picked up from Ratcliffe. So there's hope!
 

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