Intergeneric paphs...do they exist?

[Angurek]

There are countless paph hybrids out there, but I just realized that I've never seen or heard of an intergeneric. Do any exist? If so, what are the parent plants?


And is it even possible to breed an intergeneric paph?

[slipperfreak]

There are rumors of Paph x Phrag crosses, and even the odd photograph. The photos I've seen just look like Paphs. For the time being, it doesn't seem possible for different slipper genera to breed with one another.

[Angurek]

Originally Posted by slipperfreak

There are rumors of Paph x Phrag crosses, and even the odd photograph. The photos I've seen just look like Paphs. For the time being, it doesn't seem possible for different slipper genera to breed with one another.

That's a shame. If the two parents showed through, the offspring would be downright spectacular. Can you imagine a Phrag. caudatum x Paph. sanderianum cross, for example? That'd be awesome to look at.

But I'll bet that if such hybrids did exist, they'd be worth a fortune. Slippers are already pretty expensive.

[littlefrog]

There was some hope for a while that Mexipedium would be a bridge between Paphs and Phrags. But I haven't seen anything come out of that.

Now, if you wanted to try something really weird, cross selenipediums with cyps or phrags... I wonder if anybody has tried that.

Rob

[s1214215]

Here is a relevant link with pics of two Phrag x Paphs. enpxp.html

A second link enbexmalipo.html

There has been some suggestion that these crosses may actually be true, but that for some reason, the hybrid has more Paph genes present than Phrag genes. How that happens I dont know. So, for example, the hybrid may be 80% paph and 20% Phrag.

Check the link for the pics.

Brett

[lambelkip]

Originally Posted by littlefrog

There was some hope for a while that Mexipedium would be a bridge between Paphs and Phrags. But I haven't seen anything come out of that.

Now, if you wanted to try something really weird, cross selenipediums with cyps or phrags... I wonder if anybody has tried that.

Rob

I think a cross between Selenipediums and Cypripediums might work. Genetic analysis has shown them to be more closely related than the other groups, and they have the same chromosome count (2n=20). Unfortunately, Selenipediums are very rare in cultivation, and I don't think anybody has been able to attempt such a cross yet.

[PaphMadMan]

Originally Posted by s1214215

Here is a relevant link with pics of two Phrag x Paphs. enpxp.html

A second link enbexmalipo.html

There has been some suggestion that these crosses may actually be true, but that for some reason, the hybrid has more Paph genes present than Phrag genes. How that happens I dont know. So, for example, the hybrid may be 80% paph and 20% Phrag.

Check the link for the pics.

Brett

Anyone familiar with Paphs can easily see that these hybrids both involve a subgenus Cochlopetalum Paph as well as the subgenus Parvisepalum Paph listed, so even if there is some Phrag besseae in there somewhere the plants are not what they are labeled. There is no resemblance at all to Phrag besseae though.

There have been plenty of anecdotal reports of good germination of Paph x Phrag hybrids, but few if any seedlings survive long enough to come out of flask, and any that do die shortly after. It might happen sooner or later, but if anyone had actually been successful in producing a convincing Paph x Phrag hybrid, or proved it by chromosome or genetic studies, then every serious slipper orchid grower in the world would know about it within days. It wouldn't be just vague reports and unconvincing photos on the internet. They would be some of the most valuable plants in the world and very well publicized. Collectors in Japan or Taiwan would be paying millions for them, seriously. It would probably be on CNN.

I often wonder if someone has tried such a cross between proven tetraploids though.

I would also bet on Selenipedium x Cypripedium to be the first proven intergeneric slipper orchid hybrid, if anyone ever has the chance and bothers to try. Selenipedium has virtually no ornamental value though and few make the room and effort to grow it even if they are obsessed with slipper orchids.

[lambelkip]

I have a Selenipedium aequinoctiale (the "small" Selenipedium, that only gets up to about 5 or 6 feet.) Unfortunately, I don't think anybody's been successful growing Cypripediums around here, so Cypripedium pollen might be a little hard to find when it blooms.