Paphiopedilum spicerianum ‘Hercules’

[DrLeslieEe]

Lovely, seein this is always a feast for the eyes. This year the coloration seems to be slightly lighter compared with the flower of last year.

Yes the pouch is lighter this year. The magenta striation in the center of the dorsal is also slightly lighter. The flower however is slightly bigger.

 

[BrucherT]

Unfortunately most of the spicerianum on the market are tainted. The hybrids grow better and look better so they were selected by breeders over the true species. I wrote a blog post about this, not sure if I have already posted it here:
Paph spicerianum

We are maintaining 2 breeding lines of the species with clear providence to jungle collected plants. Unfortunately many other breeders don't really care. I know of one who just bought a bunch of seedlings knowing they are not pure. He basically said that they were close enough.

Dave

I’ll order from you if you’re purveying! Can’t wait to read the post. Thank you!

 

[BrucherT]

I could but I don’t grow for awards. I just grow what I like and select.

As it turns out, one week later the dorsal is beginning to turret. See the flower pics below. You can see the bottom sides of the dorsal just starting to fold and turn outwards to face back. By a week, the full curvature would be done.

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I’m happy for this news! Still suspicious of this big waxy thing but if it curls back, at least it’s making an effort. Good for you for growing what you like...I’m just a grump who feels late to the party. I see breeders already ruining rungsuriyianum before I get to venerate a single specimen, let alone the flask I crave, and I can’t even find a good spicerianum. You maybe surprised to see my spicerianum, which also refuses to turret, among other issues; here she blows:

 

[Guldal]

You may be surprised to see my spicerianum, which also refuses to turret, among other issues;

Oh, but she makes an effort, Bruch, albeit, admitted, a bit turretly challenged!

 

[Paph Paradise]

I’ll order from you if you’re purveying! Can’t wait to read the post. Thank you!

I will have to see if any are ready to go. We moved a whole bunch. I have an outcross of two jungle plants in community pots. We hope to offer seedlings next fall.

Dave

 

[musa]

Interesting article, Dave; I guess that effect is not limited to spicerianum as there are lots of people who don't care.
For Leeanum's staminode see my avatar, looks somehow boaring compared to spicerianum.

 

[Paph Paradise]

Interesting article, Dave; I guess that effect is not limited to spicerianum as there are lots of people who don't care.
For Leeanum's staminode see my avatar, looks somehow boaring compared to spicerianum.

Indeed not limited to this species. We bloomed a rothschildianum from overseas that is clearly a hybrid. Also lowii album that is a Toni Semple hybrid.

We refuse to use this material for breeding.

Dave

 

[BrucherT]

Oh, but she makes an effort, Bruch, albeit, admitted, a bit turretly challenged!

Lol isn’t it awful? This is my fourth time blooming it after grabbing it off the Hausermann’s sale bench for cheap. It blooms like this every time. I actually wonder if it’s a hybrid! But I haven’t had the heart to get rid of it because each mature growth produces THREE new fans and I run light and food experiments on it. But it always blooms exactly like this; crooked everything. I just hope Dr. Leslie is laughing at my bitchiness.

 

[BrucherT]

I’ll order from you if you’re purveying! Can’t wait to read the post. Thank you!

We’ve done business before. I need to send you pics of that incredible OZ survivor philippinense.

 

[Guldal]

Lol isn’t it awful? This is my fourth time blooming it ... It blooms like this every time.

I think I will alter my former statement to 'genetically challenged'!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I’m happy for this news! Still suspicious of this big waxy thing but if it curls back, at least it’s making an effort. Good for you for growing what you like...I’m just a grump who feels late to the party. I see breeders already ruining rungsuriyianum before I get to venerate a single specimen, let alone the flask I crave, and I can’t even find a good spicerianum. You maybe surprised to see my spicerianum, which also refuses to turret, among other issues; here she blows:

Poor pinched dorsal. If this has happened over the last 2-3 bloomings, then I’m afraid it’s genetically coded. Don’t expect it to stray from this unfortunately. Too bad unless you don’t care about looks.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

So Hercules has turret more and looks like a oversized steroid flower. With the top so thick and heavy, he’s barely keeping his eyes open. Almost too funny.

 

[Guldal]

Could you take an in toto pic with the now turreted Hercules and the plant, so he can be enjoyed in all his glorious glory!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Here is the ToTo lol:

 

[Guldal]

Thank you - and gorgeous he is.

I think my spic. carries through - left is one old growth and a well grown new one! But no reason not to pray to the orchid deities for redemption!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Thank you - and gorgeous he is.

I think my spic. carries through - left is one old growth and a well grown new one! But no reason not to pray to the orchid deities for redemption!

Your new growth will bloom! Let’s us nod our heads and pray to the orchid deities.

Hercules has another large maturing growth and 2 baby growths. He had a mishap after last year’s blooming where the center started a rot. Luckily I saw and removed it. Then repotted in new mix. It saved me from crying the orchid woes. Phew!

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Whoops here he is! Bigger and better this year:

 

[spujr]

I find the whole species and judging to be a bit subjective. I know my opinion on this is different from many well-respected growers and judges.

The two main sources of genetic variation in a species are mutation and recombination. If through the process of selection, a mutation for a particular trait is defined, how is it different if the source of that trait came from another species and was introgressed via recombination?

As a breeder, if I cross a bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) with a wild species to introgress a single gene of tobamomosiac virus resistance and then backcross back to bell pepper to gain the main agronomy traits of bell peppers, we still call that new line Capsicum annuum. Why would this be any different with orchids?

I know many disagree with me, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Duck Slipper]

A $10 DNA sequence analysis would solve these issues...I remain surprised that it hasn’t caught on among orchids.

$10 is very cheap...