Slipper Orchid Question

[Jo Ann]

Thats the way I figure too, there just gonna throw them out or put them in what I call the "dead or dieing plant section"....which I also frequent..I've become pretty good at resurecting the dead...

[slipperfreak]

Okay.

First of all, nice score!

Now, Paphs are Old World tropical slippers, and Phrags are New World tropical slippers. Paphs are a much more diverse group and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. GENERALLY though, Phrags are larger, more robust plants with more delicate-looking blooms than Paphs, which can look VERY exotic. Again though, there are exceptions.

An easy way to tell the difference is that Phrags always have big fans of long, sword-shaped leaves, and Paphs have shorter fans of broader leaves which are often mottled. As well, most Paphs are single or double flowered, while all Phrags are multifloral (whether sequentially or simultaneously). The big multifloral Paphs that most resemble Phrags have bigger flowers widthwise; ie they spread out farther in terms of petals while most of the bigger Phrags have long, drooping petals.

[quiltergal]

Great info Joe! Thanks! Just to clarify by Old World are you refering to Europe or Asia? And New World I assume is S. America?

[slipperfreak]

By Old World I mean Asia - sorry about that. And yes by Old World i meant South America (though some are found a bit farther north into Mexico such as Mexipedium xerophyticum).

[Jo Ann]

Thank-you Joe for clarifying that for me...

[gixrj18]

Alright, I think I may have something for you. Everyone is correct with the Delenati parentage, and Shirley may have pegged the name. I believe what you have is Paph. deperle var album (Paph. primulinum 'Lemon Pie' x Paph. delenati var album). I, too, have this same plant....and it also came from the Depot! This variety does retain a very pink hue, and it also has the variegated leaves. Here's a bad picture of mine...I think it's a match:

[Jo Ann]

Hey thanks everyone for helping me ID this baby!...

O.K. one more question? I’m really into variegated plants and from my own personal experience with other non orchid plants usually variegated plants need more light then there plain green relatives to hold there variegation. Does this hold true in the orchid case? Once again in my research I came out a little confused. Am I right or wrong but it seems to suggest that variegated orchids need shading and not so much light?

[gixrj18]

Mine is now on the west wall of my back porch, getting sun from about 4pm-sunset.... diffused by reed grass and clear plastic. I figure it gets 2000-3000 foot candles, but I'm not sure about your variegated question.

[Dorothy]

I have read that variegated plants need more light than their non variegated counterparts to make up for lack of chlorphyll. ( Houseplants with VARIEGATED leaves need more light than plants with plain green leaves. Variegated leaves have pale or colored sections that contain no chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis. Therefore, the rest of the leaf must be exposed to more light to compensate for the nongreen areas that cannot contribute to this life-sustaining process according to HOUSEPLANTS)
I can only assume that it also applies to variegated leafed orchids relative to it's type

[Jo Ann]

This question has to do with the orchid we’ve been discussing. I currently set it on the edge of a wooden planter that has a coconut palm growing in it, (forgot to mention I have all my plants growing outside) I set it where it would get some shade from the palm and some afternoon sun from the west-southern exposure. I noticed 2 of the leaves were getting lighter and for fear it might burn I moved it. I also removed it from its plastic pot and repotted it in a 6 inch clay orchid pot. I find that I prefer most of my plants in clay and not plastic. Sometimes with the rain we get here the plastic does not dry out fast enough. Yes I know morning sun is better. I currently nestled it among the other plants to give it diffused light. I really do not want to experiment too much with it and cause it more stress then it needs. So far it doesn’t seem to be experiencing any shock with the repot while it’s flowering……… Did I answer my own question?........