Very old Paph cross

[Roy]

Looking through the Paphs today I was studying 2 plants I've had for some time.
They are Paph Leoniae = callosum x insigne... Registered in 1893. I found a pic of an oil painting of this cross but have never seen it in flower, multi growth plants with about an 16 -18 inch leaf span. I was wondering if anyone had seen this cross in flower. Its not a cross I would think was a remake.

 

[NYEric]

No one here is that old! oke:

 

[goldenrose]

Hmm... interesting. What does the painting look like? Callusom like? Insigne like? between the two? or none of the above!
If it doesn't bloom, then I too, doubt if it's a remake!

 

[Roy]

Correction to leaf span. I re-measured the new growth this morning and its 28 inches or 71 cms wide.

 

[Roy]

Rose, from memory, the flower in the painting looked somewhere between both parents with a leaning toward the callosum. Can't remember the color though.

 

[Renegayde]

guessing this is the copy of the painting?

http://www.slipperorchids.info/paphprimaries/Lindenia1892(08)360(Leonae).jpg

 

[Roy]

Fantastic, thank you. Never thought to look at that site and I usually do.

 

[Roy]

Addition, I re-searched my computor after looking at the pic and found this same pic, in the wrong file......der.

 

[Leo Schordje]

Roy - the cross Leoniae looks very similar to Paph Harrisianum (barbatum x villosum) made in 1869. At least in the US there are still clones of Harrisianum floating around, including ' 'Superbum' and 'G.S. Ball' - I believe Superbum is a survivor from the original 1869 cross. I think these crosses have not been remade lately because while a few are very good, the percentage of mediocre and ugly flowered seedlings is fairly high in this type of intersectional hybrid. If you find a Leoniae, it will most likely be from the original batch.
Leo

 

[Roy]

Leo, I have 2 plants of P. Leoniae, probably divisions of the same plant and as you say, probably original plant divisons from way back. All I'd like to do is flower the ^$^***$*$* thing.
There must be 100's if not 1000's of plants of P. Harrisianum in Aust', GS Ball is still advertised for sale. Superbum usually turns up when a grower wants to know the name of the Paph they have.

 

[Leo Schordje]

I would try a little brighter and a little wetter than you are growing them now. That might do the trick. Unless you are already bleaching your plants yellow with sun, then try more shade. Paph insigne comes from a surprisingly wet area, and will take more light than many relatives, up to rothschildianum bright.

They are slow-pokes. I don't know if this is due to the fact that as intersectional hybrids the genetics is not quite compatible, leading to slow growth and reluctant blooming. Or, if happens stance the individual genetics of the seedlings that germinated (remember-in those days there were no flasks-seed was sown into pots of fine mix with a 'mother plant'). If the seedling was able to survive without ever going through the nutrient rich flask stage - this method of germination may have selected for slow growers. Or the 3rd possibility is that the surviving clones over the last 100 years have picked up various fungi, bacteria & viruses, protozoans or what ever that has tapped the vigor of the plant. I know supossedly there are no Paph viruses. But I think it is more accurate to say there are no KNOWN Paph viruses that affect flower color. There may be Paph viruses whose expression is simply limited to reduced vigor of the plant. Nobody knows because there has been no real effort to screen slow growing but otherwise asymptomatic plants.

 

[Roy]

Leo, I think I might have to increase the light. Its in good light with other Paphs flowering around it. I'll move it to another location. The plants are good growers, no problem there. Here is a pic of the plant, its in a 6inch ( 150mm ) pot.
I took the pic late in the PM so its a bit dark even with the flash.