Phrag (?) ID Help
 

hi again...

i think it was just yesterday i typed we were done getting any for a minute, and today we needed to use the train which means we had to walk past the flower shop at the station which means an opportunity to actually go into the shop for some pots! well of course, besides some pots we came away with this weird thing. i gotta say the inner part of the flower looks exactly like ear wax, it’s sorta gross but as a sci teacher i totally dig it!

they had 3, all of them sad looking, but this one has a new growth (fan for these?) starting so that’s why I got this one. it’s a huge flower, as wide as my hand, and looks like a single, not an inflorescence, but also has this weird growth on the spike. what is this thing?! hahaha, thanks for any input!

Complex paphiopedilum hybrid.

ah, ok, so a Paphiopedilum. so slipper orchids are both paphs and phrags? well, it looks ugly enough, so either way i hopewe saved it from the train station. thanks for the id!

These complex Paphs are nicknamed "bulldog Paphs"

Care is slightly different for the two genera. Neither should go completely dry. Most slippers need repotting every 1-2 years because the constantly moist medium breaks down faster. You can read a lot about care in the Cypripedium Alliance - Paphiopedilum forum.