Paphiopedilum NOT rothschilianum Dark Red

[eds]

Well this post is disappointing for me but might at least soften the blow to @Guldal for losing his plant from this source!

This was bought from Orchid Garden as a single fan and supposed to be as titled. I think it's clearly not dark red or even a rothschilianum - it looks like a Saint Swithin to me!




It's still a beautiful flower and any disappointment is tempered by the fact that getting any paph to flower is an event to be celebrated for me!

 

[Paphluvr]

Beautifully grown plant and beautiful flower. It's just disappointing that you didn't get what you paid for and, I assume, had to wait a long time to find out if purchased as a single growth.

 

[eds]

Beautifully grown plant and beautiful flower. It's just disappointing that you didn't get what you paid for and, I assume, had to wait a long time to find out if purchased as a single growth.

Thanks. I ordered the plant in May 2019 so it's taken a bit of time! This thread, Orchid Garden - vendor in Poland has some pictures of the plant when it was bought.

 

[NEslipper]

Sorry it’s not what you were hoping for, three years from single fan to multi-growth clump would have been an amazingly vigorous roth! Agree it’s most likely a St Swithin. I really like those pale, ghostly colors, quite different from most breeding trends which are dark dark dark!

 

[Happypaphy7]

Beautiful, though! and a great grower to boot!! I would totally take it

 

[Guldal]

....might at least soften the blow to @Guldal for losing his plant from this source!

it looks like a Saint Swithin to me!

Thank you for the comforting words and pics, Ed!
I think you have identified the plant correctly - the plant seems so well grown, that you for certain can be proud of your cultural skills!

 

[GuRu]

As long as nurseries sell orchis as long there are mislabeled plants from time to time. I don't know any nursery which wasn't hit by this problem.
Anyway, your 'mislabeled' plant looks strong and healthy and the flowers of this P. Saint Swithin are more than lovely.

 

[eds]

Thanks all for the compliments - it certainly seems to like the basket culture, even with my less than consistent watering!

Guldal, I'm glad it might have helped a bit with your loss!

 

[Ozpaph]

and a pale SS, at that.

 

[gego]

There's a lot of red color in that flower, even on the pouch. Could be more than just SS.

 

[emydura]

There's a lot of red color in that flower, even on the pouch. Could be more than just SS.

I was thinking the same thing. Looks to be some stonei in the dorsal. Seems more complex than just a St Swithin.

 

[eds]

Comparing it to photos of my SS I think you guys might be onto something. The laterals are twisting much more as it ages and I will post another photo when the third flower opens for you to see.

 

[gego]

I was thinking the same thing. Looks to be some stonei in the dorsal. Seems more complex than just a St Swithin.

Same here, stonei usually makes lesser number of lines and space more between lines.

 

[JustinR]

Shame its not as expected, but whatever it is it looks awesome to me

 

[Karp60]

It can happen, obviously someone mixed the labels or records, I have purchased a cattleya two years ago and when it flowered, it looked completely different to the attached picture. The bigger problem arises when a particular mislabeled plant is used in further breeding and you have got cascading problem.

 

[eds]

All three flowers are now open.


The first flower to open now looks like this,


Having a search I think it could be a Genevieve Booth (which would make a bit of sense being sold as rothschildianum if that was the pod parent) or maybe Saint Swithin x Mount Toro?

Or it could, of course, be any random complex multi hybrid!

 

[eds]

This plant is flowering again,




As a guide to size, the dorsal is 52mm wide and each flower is about 20cm tall (natural spread isn't much due to the petal stance!)

 

[richgarrison]

Looks to have a stonei influence in that dorsal. But the pouch gets towards yellow enough to be pleasing to my eyes…. I’d call it serendipitous….

 

[spujr]

I find this pleasing to look at. I wonder if selfing it would provide some more clues about the parentage, certainly should provide a diverse range of progeny.

 

[eds]

I find this pleasing to look at. I wonder if selfing it would provide some more clues about the parentage, certainly should provide a diverse range of progeny.

Me too. I'd rather it was a big, dark red Roth as labelled, but this is a very good consolation!

No idea of where to get any seeds flasked over here nor do I have space or experience to grow out the plants afterwards so it's not really an option I'm afraid.