Paph virens

[Leo Schordje]

Paph virens or if you prefer, Paph javanicum var. virens

I got this plant from Dick Clements back in 1987 or 1988, I believe he picked it up from Ray Rands. Rands had imported it as Paph purpurescens, not to be confused with primulinum var purpurescens. Then some taxonomists looked at it and decided the name purpurescens was invalid and rather quickly Dick realized Paph virens was the right name. It had been a faithful performer for many years, a subtle flower, understated, but very pleasant. I grow it with the Paph Maudiae hybrids.

This does have the bad habit of new growths climbing, so I end up keeping it in a 3 inch diameter, 6 inch tall pot that I made from a plastic concrete test cylinder mold that was being discarded from work. This way I can plant it deep enough in the tall pot that the new root buds are covered by the potting mix. Too bad I can't get these molds in any quantity.

 

[paphjoint]

Very pretty and not often seen- I think at one time it was considered a variety of P. javanicum


PS: is the picture a scanned slide?

 

[UweM]

Paph. purpurascens was described by Fowlei in Orchid Digest 4 / 1974.
Following pictures are scanned from OD.

 

[Leo Schordje]

Very pretty and not often seen- I think at one time it was considered a variety of P. javanicum


PS: is the picture a scanned slide?

Its a digital picture that I took yesterday, I need to change the backdrop. It is reflecting too much light.

 

[Leo Schordje]

Paph. purpurascens was described by Fowlei in Orchid Digest 4 / 1974.
Following pictures are scanned from OD.

Thanks, I did not know where the name purpurescens came from. Thank you. Is Paph purpurescens (Fowlei) still considered a 'good' or viable name? Is it accepted?

 

[UweM]

The clarifying, if we have a "good" and accept (what means accept --> Cripp from Kew Garden?) plantname will be presupposes of imported plants from nature of Paph. virens and purpurascens...
...at time purpurascens will be a synonym from virens or javanicum...

my mind: it's a real purpurascens, compare with virens:

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14519

 

[labskaus]

Very nice example of the species, I really should get one.
Leo I'd love to have a look at that pot! You'd have to burry the old growth', don't you?

 

[etex]

Very lovely,elegant bloom!! Very unique! Thanks for showing us!

 

[Leo Schordje]

The clarifying, if we have a "good" and accept (what means accept --> Cripp from Kew Garden?) plantname will be presupposes of imported plants from nature of Paph. virens and purpurascens...
...at time purpurascens will be a synonym from virens or javanicum...

my mind: it's a real purpurascens, compare with virens:

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14519

I see the difference, I can see why they get lumped together, but I also see why Jack Fowlei separated it as different.

 

[Bolero]

I haven't seen this one before except in books. I don't know of anyone who grows it so it's good to see one like yours.

 

[GuRu]

First of all that's a lovely flower Leo - congrats.
As to its name I would write on the tag Paph javanicum var. virens.
Paph purpurascens is regarded to be a synonym of Paph javanicum. According to REICHENBACH and BREAM distinguishes var. virens from Paph javanicum by
its smaller flowers and its more horizontal petals.
Have a look at http://www.slipperorchids.info/paphspecies/index.html for comparison.

Best regards from Germany, rudolf

 

[SlipperFan]

First of all that's a lovely flower Leo - congrats.
As to its name I would write on the tag Paph javanicum var. virens.
Paph purpurascens is regarded to be a synonym of Paph javanicum. According to REICHENBACH and BREAM distinguishes var. virens from Paph javanicum by
its smaller flowers and its more horizontal petals.
Have a look at http://www.slipperorchids.info/paphspecies/index.html for comparison.

Best regards from Germany, rudolf

And it looks like, from the photos, that virens' color is a little deeper.
Nice flower, Leo!

 

[Leo Schordje]

Very nice example of the species, I really should get one.
Leo I'd love to have a look at that pot! You'd have to burry the old growth', don't you?

I don't bury older leaves, what I do is when the new climbing growth is showing fresh root buds, if the old growth only has a couple leaves left, I pull off all the old leaves on the old growth careful too not disturb the crown & roots, Then I bury the old growth and roots deep enough that the new root buds are at least 1/4 inch deep in the mix. I only do this where the new growths are vigorous & healthy enough that loss of the old growth won't set back the whole plant too much.


Concrete test cylinder molds are 3 inches in diameter x 6 inches tall. I use a drill with a countersink bit to make holes around and underneath. I don't get many of these, but it is an idea for the DYI'ers.

 

[cnycharles]

when you do your repotting to accommodate the new growth/roots, you could put some styrofoam peanuts around the old growth to maybe help keep things from rotting, maybe could keep leaves on it

 

[paphioboy]

Great virens.. And that is one REALLY tall pot!

 

[SlipperKing]

Nice Leo. Have you ever tried to divide the plant after the new root buds form? Keeping both halves?

 

[Leo Schordje]

Nice Leo. Have you ever tried to divide the plant after the new root buds form? Keeping both halves?

Sometimes I just snap off the climbing growth and root it separately, on the plant in this picture, there were two new growths that had climbed well above the old, and they were at about the same level. So I removed the leaves from the old growth and burried it, because I wanted the plant to pick up the vigor it gets when it is a multi-growth clump with lots of roots.

Climbing growths are a problem, and how I handle them is a case by case issue. More often then not I snap off the climber, and pot it up separately.

When I have more time for more typing & photos, I should do a whole posting on different ways to handle this problem.

 

[SlipperFan]

When I have more time for more typing & photos, I should do a hole posting on different ways to handle this problem.

Please do!