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Paphiopedilum armeniacum Chen & Liu

• Described: S. C. Chen & Liu in Acta Botanica Yunnanica, 4(2): 163 (1982)
• History: This species was described from plants collected by A.L. Zhang in 1979 in Bijiang, Yunnan Province, China.  Initially, Cribb (Cribb & Tang 1983) raised the possibility that Paph. armeniacum may be a color variant of Paph. delenatii.  As more plants became available, Cribb and other taxonomists realized Paph. armeniacum warranted species status.
      Paph. armeniacum entered the horticultural trade in large numbers only a few years later.  It soon gained a number of awards from orchid societies around the world, including 7 FCCs from the AOS in 4 years.  This species has since become common in cultivation and is being artificially propagated.  Large numbers of wild-collected plants are also still illegally entering the horticultural trade.
      Given the showiness of this species, it is surprising that it remained undescribed for so long.
• Etymology: Derived from the name of the apricot tree, Prunus armeniaca (So named because of its supposed origin of Armenia.  The fruit trees actually originated from northeastern China).  This species was named for the erroneously described apricot color of its flowers.  All known examples are yellow.
• Synonyms: none
• Varieties & Forms:
  Paphiopedilum armeniacum fma. markii (Gruss in Die Orchidee, 48(5): 215-216 (1997)) Braem, Baker & Baker in The Genus Paphiopedilum, 1: 69 (1997) - albino form
• Chromosome Count:

  2n =	metacentrics	telocentrics	n.f.
  26	26	0	52

Plant Habit

• Leaves: 5-7, 6-15 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, above mottled dark and light green, below purple-spotted
• Inflorescence: 1-flowered, 23-60 cm long, green spotted purple, brown-pubescent
• Bloom: 6-11 cm wide
  
• Plant: stolonous
  

Habitat Data

• Distribution: found only in the Nu Shan between the Salween and Mekong Rivers and the Gaoligong Shan west of the Salween.
  
• Elevation: 1350-2050 m
• Peak Flowering in the Wild: late March-early May
• Mean Temperature Range: 8-20°C
• Light: moderate shade
• Medium: shallow, well-drained soil, calcareous, pH 7.48-7.9
• Water (D-drier, M-moderate, W-wetter):

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Sources:

• Braem, G.J., and Guy Chiron. Paphiopedilum. Saint-Genis Laval, France: Tropicalia, 2003.
• Cribb, P, Tang, C. The Chinese Species of Paphiopedilum. Orchid Review 91 (1075):160-165, May; 1983.
• Cribb, P. The Golden Slipper Orchid - Paphiopedilum armeniacum. Orchid Review 92 (1090):246, Aug; 1984.
• Cribb, P.J. The Genus Paphiopedilum. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Natural History Publications in association with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1998.
• Cribb, P.J. "Wild Paphiopedilums, A Survey of Species in China Provides a Conservation Overview for This Horticulturally Important Genus." Orchids 68, no. 4 (Apr 1999): 340-49.
• Gruss, O. "Albino Forms of the Slipper Orchids." Orchid Digest 69, no. 4 (Oct/Dec 2005): 204-29.
• Karasawa, K. "Karyomorphological Studies on Four Species of Paphiopedilum." Bulletin of the Hiroshima Botanical Garden 5 (Dec 1982): 70-79.
• Koopowitz, H., and N Hasegawa. "The Status of Paphiopedilum armeniacum." Orchid Digest 48, no. 3 (May/Jun 1984): 95-98.
• Perner, H. Cypripediums in China, Part 1: A History of Cypripedium in China. Orchids 75 (10):764-769, Oct; 2006.
• Tsi ZhanHuo et al. "A Preliminary Report on the Population Size, Ecology, and Conservation Status of Some Paphiopedilum Species (Orchidaceae) in Southwest China." Lindleyana 14, no. 1 (1999): 12-23.

Primary Hybrids

Paph. armeniacum x	Hybrid
delenatii	Armeni-White
emersonii	Franz Glanz
hangianum	Wössner China Moon
jackii	Wössner Armenijack
malipoense	Norito Hasegawa
micranthum	Fumi's Delight
vietnamense	Wössner Vietnam Gold
bellatulum	Wössner Bellarmi
concolor	Fumi's Gold
godefroyae	Kiryu
wenshanense	Wössner Vollmond
fairrieanum	Golden Diamond
helenae	Wössner Minigold
dayanum	Wössner Armiday
hookerae	Lady Trouble
mastersianum	Michael Gibson
sukhakulii	Doll-Star
adductum	Wössner Armenigold
glanduliferum	Wössner Armeniglan
haynaldianum	Karyol Vaughn's Gold
kolopakingii	Wössner Kolarmi
philippinense	Michael Tibbs
platyphyllum	Poulsbo Canary
rothschildianum	Dollgoldi
sanderianum	Arsand Shigeta
stonei	Wössner Stonarmi
wilhelminiae	Lyro Goldwing
chamberlainianum	Canary Weltz
glaucophyllum	Mary Ott
liemianum	Wilfred Fourman
primulinum	Golddollar
victoria-mariae	Wössner Goldmarie
victoria-reginae	Wössner Armeregina

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Page Created By: Stephen Manza
Last Updated: 12-2-06
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