should my Paphs roots look like this?

[RJSquirrel]

Paph roots take on the coloring of the mix....the darker rooted plants grown in bark the lighter rooted plants grown in sphagnum. S/H roots are sometimes even lighter colored to almost bone white.

Since paphs dont have psuedo bulbs, the hairy roots provide a wider area to collect water and nutrients in usually pretty bad substrate. Most these plants naturally grow under trees in the leaves, sides of a hill, cracks in rocks on mountains, or even in a tree crotch up in the air.

If you let the roots dry out too often they will get matted and start to look like they having a bad hair day and end up looking mummified as one put it. Thats when you start to have trouble bec they lose the ability to move the water and air up into the plant efficiently.