Paph tonsum

[gore42]

This is a plant that I imported last Fall, this is the first bloom for me. I was pretty surprised at how green it turned out... the ones I've seen before were more of a caramel color... I'm guessing that the pale color is due to the heat that I've been giving it. And it's big... I haven't taken measurements, but I'm happy with the size I'm a little disappointed in the shape of the pouch, but you can't have everything, I guess.

Hope you like it!



As Ever,
Matthew Gore

 

[Roy]

Matt, your tonsum is very nice. From what I can see of the foliage in other pics, which is limited, your resembles P. braemii. I'm not sure if braemii is a big flower or not. Well worth having anyway. I hope others in the forum can add to this.
Roy

 

[Marco]

nice green

 

[TADD]

Leaves are spectacular too!

 

[Bolero]

I love it!!!! Wonderful photo too.......that flower is magic.

 

[SlipperFan]

Beautiful photos, Matt!

 

[NYEric]

That's a nice one. I'd get that species. Maybe...

 

[paphioland]

Matt, your tonsum is very nice. From what I can see of the foliage in other pics, which is limited, your resembles P. braemii. I'm not sure if braemii is a big flower or not. Well worth having anyway. I hope others in the forum can add to this.
Roy

I think it may be the var braemii as well

 

[Candace]

I think I like the leaves better than the flower. The mottled leaves are much more interesting to look at than complex or strap leaf paphs.

 

[gore42]

Thanks everyone

It's a good question whether this is var. braemii. I've looked into it a bit, but I just can't tell.


I've been looking for good photos of that variety, and some look quite a bit like this, but others not so much. This one does have a pretty wide staminode relative to the bloom (though the pouch is an odd shape, so that may be an illusion), and the dorsal is slightly ovular, and it is greenish... but I don't know how this compares in size to other tonsums. Guess I'd better look up some measurements and take some of my bloom.

I haven't ready anything about the foliage of either one.

- Matt

 

[practicallyostensible]

Gosh, it's so green. I've always loved how delicate these are. Out of curiosity Matt, how warm are you growing it?

Also, can someone tell me the difference between the var. curtisifolium and var. braemii?

 

[Rick]

According to Cribb, braemei is smaller than tonsum.

In the OD paph checklist that Koopowitz wrote it also suggets that braemei is smaller than a nominal tonusm, and distinct enough to be a separate species from tonsum despite finding integrades in size and color. But he also says that the degree of pigmentation in tonsum is highly variable, and there are green forms of tonsum.

 

[gore42]

Julia, during the last few weeks (during bud development), the temperatures have been in the mid to high 80s, but only dropping into the high 60s or low 70s at night.

Thanks Rick. I just measured my bloom, and the NS is 12.1 cm, which seems pretty big to me to be braemii... there have been tonsums awarded that are smaller than that (though not recently). After looking at a couple of good photos of tonsum var. braemii, I don't think that the dorsal sepal on mine is the right shape... I think that I just happen to have a greenish tonsum

- Matt

 

[Hien]

Hi Matt

I have the

PAPH. tonsum var Curtisifolium ‘GREEN GHOST’ JC/AOS x self
&
PAPH. braemii 'FOX VALLEY' x self

The braemii is the smaller plant that flower on first growth in MAY 28th
The Tonsum is the bigger plant that flower on second growth in FEB 19th
I think the two varieties suppose to bloom in different months.
(If that information is correct then maybe your is braemii)

I took the pictures of them together so you can see the relative sizes

The tonsum 'Saltcoat' awarded with an HCC on March 3, 2001 has natural spread 14.00 cm so your flower is not excessively big to say it is not braemii. I don't remember my flowers are different in sizes.
On the other hand if you said your plant has leaf span 14 inches, then it could be tonsum
(my braemii flower in 6 inch leaf span, my tonsum is 9 inch leaf span, both are not optimum raised however)

 

[myxodex]

I bought a tonsum labelled "donker" ... which means dark and it was not as green as yours, but the flower was smaller (the plant very small when it flowered). The foliage on mine is somewhat similar to yours except that it is red/purple spotted/streaked underneath the leaves. I bought my plant purely for the foliage ... just couldn't resist the light blue-gray and dark green contrasted with red/purple beneath.

My problem now is I want a braemii as well.

Cheers,
Tim

 

[myxodex]

I bought a tonsum labelled "donker" ... which means dark and it was not as green as yours, but the flower was smaller (the plant very small when it flowered). The foliage on mine is somewhat similar to yours except that it is red/purple spotted/streaked underneath the leaves. I bought my plant purely for the foliage ... just couldn't resist the light blue-gray and dark green contrasted with red/purple beneath.

My problem now is I want a braemii as well.

Cheers,
Tim