Psychopsis ID
 

I have two different Psychopsis Papilio plants, one of which is "alba" and the other is regularly colored. My question is which one is 'mariposa' and which one is 'mendenhall' or are they something different? My suspicion is that the 'alba' is a mariposa while the regularly colored one, with the varigated leaves, is a 'mendenhall'. The leaves on the 'alba' have no markings other than longitudinal striations that may be veining, rather than coloration.

Any ideas folks?

I have 3 psychopsis. Two are the orange variety and have the name Mendenhall and Mariposa on their tags (one on one, one on the other). The third is the alba form and blooms yellow. Hope this helps.

Psychopsis papilio is a species

Psychopsis Mariposa and Psychopsis Mendenhall are two different hybrids.

all of them can be alba (yellow flowers) or standard colored (yellow and brown)

in the praxis it is almost impossible to separate them from each other.. (as for teh species, papilio should have flat spikes, but thi scan be also seen in the two hybrids mentioned here as tehy have paipilio in the background too)

what is written on the labels?

First, Ramon, you have some beautiful flowers! Unfortunately, the labeling on the tags is not good The 'alba' plant says Psy. Papilio 'alba' so maybe it's not a hybrid at all. The other one (the yellow and brown) was poorly labeled as merely a Psychopsis. I had a Mariposa that didn't make it, but the leaves weren't marked as the ones I currently own. The spike on the alba is just beginning to plump out prior to bloom but the bud end appeared pretty flat before plumping out. I was hoping that the markings on the leaves of the yellow/brown plant would give a clue to identificaion. The markings seem to become more pronounced with brighter sun. The one leaf that it does have is much larger than the alba plant, as can be seen in the pictures plus the alba's leaves are pretty much un-varigated.

Yea, usually the anthocyanins are absent on a whole in the albas, even in the leaves.

George;

I was admiring your Psychopsis plants and was wondering where you got your hydroculture pots from.

Cheers.
Jim

Hi Jim. I get my pots from Interior Water Gardens (A Hydroculture Oasis) and have been very happy with them. They come with both inner and outer pots as well as the Leca and a small packet of fertilizer. I have put all of my 'chids in to this media and all seem to be thriving. Their prices are reasonable and they offer monthly specials too.

George

albino plants shouldn't have colour on their leaves

And there is no color, just some pronounced longitudinal veining. I spoke with a grower recently, and he told me that the Alba variety that I most likely have is a clone of the Mendenhall variety which is a Onc. Papilio X Onc. Butterfly hybrid, but with the albino characteristics. I now feel confident that this is what I have. Thanks for everyone who replied.

Pardon my ignorance but what is that medium you have in that pot? Looks like small balls... And where I can buy it? Thanks.