Paphiopedilum Memoria Larry Heuer (malipoense x emersonii)
Finally. It has bloomed. I bought this seeding about 3 years ago. It's been a fairly trouble-free grower, albeit a tad slow. I just keep it reasonably brightly lit, evenly moist throughout the year, and otherwise no special treatment. The foliage is beautiful, though the two bottom leaves are starting to yellow -- partially because it's probably using a lot of nutrients for blooming and because the new roots are starting to tear the lower leaves away from the base of the plant.
The flower is big. It's hard to say if the petals will recurve, but if they remain held out fairly flatly, the flower is approximately 6 inches (15 cm) across. It's one of the largest blooms in my collection, that's for sure. The shape isn't quite perfect, and I can't tell if it's fully open yet. While the spike and bud developed at a decent pace considering the parentage, the flower itself has been opening for well over a week. The color is wonderful, don't get me wrong, however I had really hoped I'd get much more color in the petals. I love to see the veins/lines colored up really nicely, but this one mostly lacks that coloration except for some speckling/blush near the staminode. The pouch is gorgeous though, and definitely up to my standards.
There isn't much fragrance to speak of, which is a tad disappointing. It's there, but it's faint. I suppose there's a chance it'll develop further as the flower continues to open fully. It's pleasant, not sweet or floral, not spicey. It's a smooth, mellow scent.
Overall, I think it's a great flower, and now I want to buy more of this hybrid.
Paphiopedilum Memoria Larry Heuer
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