phrag pearcei or ?

[cnycharles]

I recently received a bonus plant with a purchase of phrag d'alessandroi from the west coast. It was a large clump of phrag pearcei, and had one old flower on it. Today, I was looking up culture for a few plants in the species culture book by charles and margaret baker and looked up pearcei. I noted in the 'flowers' section that pearcei and caricinum often have their names switched in commerce (or at least some caricinum could be labeled pearcei), and they stated that pearcei was only supposed to have one flower per inflorescence, while caricinum could have three to seven. I looked around and saw that orchids limited was selling pearcei and they described the species as multifloral. The flower on this plant was it's third on that inflorescence.

question - is there anyone who has taxonomic records that state whether or not pearcei is multifloral or not? I'd like to have the right name of course, but have seen that there may be a species complex of those small phrag species so there may really no clear-cut determination between species like we all would prefer... (meaning I don't know anything about them but would like to!) I'm very happy about the plant, just would like to know if the name is correct.
thanks,
charles

I don't have a picture of the flower, it fell off not long after the box was opened, didn't think I'd need a pic

 

[Leo Schordje]

I have had both caricinum and pearcei, correctly identified. They both are capable of having more than one flower open on a stem, at one time. This trait is not one of the traits used to separate the species. Number of flowers open is a direct result of cultural conditions, and both species, when well grown can have more than one flower open at a time.

As a vague generallity what the Baker's wrote might be a tendancy, but with good culture the Baker's description of flower habit goes out the window.

 

[Rick]

The pouch throat spotting pattern and density of these two flowers is quite different. Unless its a hybrid it should be pretty easy to tell the difference.

Most of the carricinums I've seen have a thinner leaf plant habit than most pearcei (very grass like) and usually a bit darker too. But I recently picked up a division of carricinum with a large pearcei like growth habit. I wouldn't have believed it was carricium if I hadn't seen a picture of the bloom from this plant and 3 other pots of the original division that were the typical small grass like habit I normally see.

It's in spike now, so I should get to see a bloom in real life soon.

Also it sounds like you are describing a sequential blooming habit rather than multifloral when you said "it was on its third flower". Pearcei and caricinum are sequential bloomers, and having up to 7 flowers (sequentially) on one spike is pretty standard for both. It's not uncommon to have 2 flowers open at once, and Uri posted a pic of his monster pearcei that had several spikes with 3 open at once.

 

[cnycharles]

oh okay, I didn't realize that there was a difference between sequential and multifloral. shows how much I know about slippers!

 

[Rick]

oh okay, I didn't realize that there was a difference between sequential and multifloral. shows how much I know about slippers!

The truly "multifloral" phrag species are the long petaled ones from the caudatum group with 3-5 flowers opening on a spike in unison (kind of).

d'alesandroi and richteri (sometimes called amazonica) can have branching spikes that will have a multifloral like quality.

One of my pearcei on rare occasions has also produced a branching spike, but typically most phrags are sequential.

Within Paphs there are 3 primary groups that:
1) Usually have 1 (but occasionally 2) flowers total on a spike
2) Sequentially bloom on spikes ( I've had some spikes produce over 18 flowers over a 2 year period)
3) Multiflorals that produce at least 2 (but sometimes a dozen or more depending on species) flowers open on a spike more or less in unison.