Paph. sangii var. ayubianum

[ORG]

Now an interesting variety of Paph. sangii was described as var. ayubianum in the journal of the German Orchid Society (Deutsche Orchideengesellschaft) Die Orchidee
The new variety on the left together with the typical form of Paph. sangii

It is really an interesting flower and perhaps also interesting for hybridization

Best greetings

Olaf

 

[Heather]

Oh my! now that is a sangii even I can love! That's just fabulous. Is the color quite true? Amazing....
Thank you Olaf...did I hear something recently about a new variety of parishii as well?

That is really something. I'm so glad you are here with us, Olaf. Thank you always!!

 

[ORG]

Dear Heather,
the colour is true.
I hope also that in the next years some of these plants came in trade byy artificial propagation.

The parishii form is really beautiful but not so different from the usual form that it will be described

Best greetings

Olaf

 

[Mahon]

Olaf,

...thanks for the up-to-date information! I kinda like the normal Paph. sangii better though... does both have the same leaf structures and silver-green mottled leaf coloration? I see that the inflorescence is quite different...

-P.A. Mahon

 

[SlipperFan]

It is really an interesting flower and perhaps also interesting for hybridization

I agree!

 

[silence882]

Very nice new flower!

What distinguishes it from the typical variety?

Was this plant found on Sulawesi as well?

--Stephen

 

[PHRAG]

Those candy apple red petals drive me crazy. How is it that I have never seen one of these? I need to get an orchid encyclopedia.

 

[Mahon]

Olaf,

Does this new variety of Paph. sangii have any connection to the Javanese grower, Ayub? If so, did he find this one in the wild?

-PM

 

[Gideon]

That is really nice Olaf, thanks for the photos

 

[Rick]

Olaf,

...thanks for the up-to-date information! I kinda like the normal Paph. sangii better though... does both have the same leaf structures and silver-green mottled leaf coloration? I see that the inflorescence is quite different...

-P.A. Mahon

I would also like to know if the varieties can be destinguished by their foliage.

Thanks Olaf

 

[paphjoint]

Olaf,
I see a deformed dorsal and some very saturated colors - Is there only one plant ? - or are we talking about several dozen of plants all having the same characteristics ?
The plant on the left looks JCed to me - remember the first picture ever published of a P sangii - it had a keeled dorsal and was described as such, it later turned out to be an artefact

 

[Rick]

Olaf,
I see a deformed dorsal and some very saturated colors - Is there only one plant ? - or are we talking about several dozen of plants all having the same characteristics ?
The plant on the left looks JCed to me - remember the first picture ever published of a P sangii - it had a keeled dorsal and was described as such, it later turned out to be an artefact

Those are good points Uri.

Steve T. also suggested that there were sangii variants and showed me pictures over a year ago. One was very similar to the posted pics. I don't know if his sources are different from Olaf's, but that could suggest multiple plant sources, and multiple plants.

There may also be variants of mastersianum. I recently obtained some unbloomed plants from Andy's that have folliage very different from most of the mastersianum I've seen. They are strongly tesselated with wide oval leaves with rounded edges. Most mastersianum I've seen have faintly tesselated leaves with pointy tips.

 

[Mahon]

Looking at the flower of the P. sangii var. ayubianum, it looks as if it is an abberant form... unless there is more information on the plant, like the area it was collected, leaves, or other plants that flowered the same...

The flower looks deformed somewhat (yeah, I know the pouch makes that ugly shape!)... Uri spotted the dorsal sepal deformed, looks as if it twisted somewhat (naturally)... something that I see is the staminodial shield is the same shape, but it is curled on the top...

Maybe it isn't abberant, but a valid variety... any other info Olaf?

-PM

 

[ORG]

These plants shall come also from Sulawesi around 300 km north of the habitat of the typical sangii.
The plants shall be found by Ayub Parnata or one of his collectors and are now many years in culture in Europe. There are too many in the flower very similar plants, so it seemed for me that it is really a distinct variety.

The leaves are normally smaller than the typical sangii.

Best greetings

Olaf

 

[kentuckiense]

Olaf, think you for sharing the information and photos with us.

 

[Mahon]

So it's not abberant... are there any other Paphiopedilum species found in range of the Paph. sangii var. ayubianum? Not completely trying to put this off as NOT a new variety, it could be legitamate, but I am offering alternative suggestions to this P. sangii var. ayubianum... but to me, I think that the coloration and petals of P. sangii var. ayubianum are inherited from Paph. hirsutissum or some related species (maybe even Paph. hookerae?)... does anyone else have the same idea or similar thoughts?

-PM

 

[ORG]

Really a nice idea, but from the geographical point impossible.
Before we decided to describe this variety we tried to get more informations over around 5 years. But impossible. We had also the idea that it is perhaps a natural hybrid, but no other species of this genus was found nearby.
Paph.hirsutissimum or esquirolei or chiwuanum were never found on the islands of Indonesia!!!

Best greetings

Olaf

 

[Mahon]

I didn't know that the place was searched... I was considering Paph. hookerae also, but Celebes to Sabah is one inch on my computer screen, but it is MUCH further in real life... unless there is some sort of migration of an insect... (now I'm really stretching it!)

I will leave it as a variety of P. sangii... though in the back of my head, I still kinda think that it might not be... future hybrids will aslo help... especially the hybrids made in Borneo, etc...

-PM

 

[silence882]

Thanks for sharing the photos and info, Olaf!

hookerae and sangii are very closely related. It can really be seen in the pouch and staminode. Also, they're very similar cytologically (each being 2n=28 with a n.f. of 56).

--Stephen

 

[adiaphane]

Thanks Olaf, for the beautiful pictures and description. It is always a joy to see your posts.

Sincerely,
Tien Le