First of all, I do stand corrected... I just got off the phone with Cal Dodson, and has clarified the story to me. Harry Luther, Elizabeth (Liz) Besse, and Joe Halton did in fact find the species first in this situation; Cal Dodson rediscovered the species in nature, but in Guarumales, Ecuador.
SlipperFan said:
I've heard that story about besseae, also. I've also heard that, sure, she picked it up along side the road -- from one of the vendor-farmers there -- that besseaes don't grow along side a road.
Whoever came up with the story of the group buying from a "vendor-farmer" is mis-informed, especially since their initial finding is a plant in situ, in bloom, and photographed. That is how the type for
Phrag. besseae was determined. There is also a funny story of how
Phrag. besseae was found by Liz...
The first plants of
Phrag. besseae were found by three people... Elizabeth Besse, Harry Luther, and Joe Halton. The plants of this red-flowering
Phragmipedium were in fact
in bloom along a roadside. A single herbarium specimen and pickled flower were identified as
Phrag. schlimii when brought back to SEL (The Marie Selby Herbarium). Dodson was then given a photograph of the unknown taxon, and the decision was made to describe the red
Phragmipedium as a new species after Liz Besse. Dodson and Kuhn described it in November of 1981... the illustration of the type for
Phrag. besseae was made off an herbarium specimen that was flattened, so it had a keen resemblance to
Phrag. schlimii, except that the countries of origin are incorrect. Elizabeth Besse switched the type locality for the description around with another city visited in Peru. If people were to visit the type locality on that description of
Phrag. besseae, they would not find a single plant of it anywhere, as it is in the other city.
Luther, Dalton, and Besse did not think they discovered Phrag. schlimii in Peru, as they were in Tarapoto. Phrag. schlimii is found way far north in Columbia, and I think it has also been more recently found in northern Ecuador... their herbarium specimen and accompanying pickled flower was identified as Phrag. schlimii.
Also, they collected about 20 plants. Twelve to thirteen of the plants remained here at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, while three plants were sold in the auction at the Orchid Ball. They went for $1,700 a piece. Another plant was given to a grower in Wyoming.
But this is not all... Werner Hopp collected in 1921 a red flowering
Phrag. schlimii in the region of Mocoa (eastern Andes), and is suspected to be
Phrag. besseae. The material was bombed during the war.
In 1960, the first confirmed sighting of
Phrag. besseae was confirmed. Angel Andreeta saw from a distance a colony of
Phrag. besseae in bloom. He was unable to get closer to them. The area was later searched, and
Phrag. besseae is in fact located in the area he was looking at.
Then there is
Phrag. d'allesandroi, found in 1985 by Dennis D'Allesandro... this species is located in Zamora, Ecuador. Dennis unfortunately told of his site, and they were all collected by the local botanical garden. The difference between
Phrag. besseae and
Phrag. dallesandroi is the more yellow coloration in the petals which droop, the non-stolonous plants, two extra chromosomes, and distribution (which is the most important factor on determining
Phrag. besseae from
Phrag. dallesandroi). Also, this variety produces more seed pods than typical
Phrag. besseae, and is suspected to be self-pollinating.
Phrag. dallesandroi is a seperate species primarily on the fact of its distribution. The range for
Phrag. dallesandroi is about 500 miles up and down Ecuador, including the population in Zamora. If it were to be a subspecies, then the distribution would be limited to a smaller area, coming out from populations of
Phrag. besseae, but instead,
Phrag. dallesandroi is located in the middle of the
Phrag. besseae populations.
Also, I have seen many times the mention of
Phrag. besseae var.
paute. I assume these are referring to the plants which come from Paute, Ecuador. The
Phrag. besseae which originate from Paute are our typical
Phrag. besseae, there is no difference between our common cultivated
Phrag. besseae and those found in Paute, Ecuador.
I hope this information is quite useful to you all, as it is the complete story.
-Pat