Paphiopedilum emersonii Koopowitz & Cribb
- Described: Koopowitz & Cribb in The Orchid Advocate, 12(3): 84-86 (1986)
- History: The details of the discovery of this species are unclear. Among the first plants to appear in cultivation were a batch exported from China through Honk Kong to Japan and the USA. Also, plants were brought to Europe by Henry Azadehdel. So far, I haven't found any detailed information on the timing of all the events surrounding this species' introduction.
- Etymology: Named for Emerson 'Doc' Charles, an orchid collector and grower from California who flowered the type specimen in May, 1986.
- Varieties & Forms:
Paphiopedilum emersonii fma. luteum Braem in The Australian Orchid Review, 66(1): 6 (2001) - albino form, pure yellow flowers
Paphiopedilum emersonii fma. album Gruss & Petchleung in Die Orchidee, 53(2): 220 (2002) - albino form, white petals and sepals, yellow staminode and lip
- Synonyms:
Paphiopedilum huonglanae N.T. Tich in Hoa Canh, 3:10-11 (1998)
Paphiopedilum emersonii var. huonglanae (N.T. Tich) N.T. Tich in Hoa Canh, 4:12 (1998) - may warrant recognition as a color form
- Chromosome Count:
| 2n = |
metacentrics |
telocentrics |
n.f. |
| 26 |
26 |
0 |
52 |
Plant Habit
- Leaves: 4-7, 15-25 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, above glossy green, below pale green, keeled, sometimes with purple marks at the base
- Inflorescence: 1-flowered, 10-15 cm long, yellow-green, white-pillose
- Bloom: variable, 7-11 cm wide, slight sweet fragrance
Habitat Data
- Distribution:
- Elevation: 550-750 m
- Peak Flowering in the Wild: May-June
- Ecology: closed evergreen forests on very steep slopes and shady cliffs of highly eroded, crystalline limestone mountains
- Mean Temperature Range: 13-26° C
- Light: moderate shade
- Medium: calcareous, moss, sand, soil, clay and humus
- Water (D-drier, M-moderate, W-wetter):
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Water |
D |
D |
D |
M |
W |
W |
W |
W |
M |
M |
D |
D |
Sources:
- Averyanov, L. et al. Slipper Orchids of Vietnam. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2003.
- Averyanov, L.V., N.T. Hiep, and P.K. Loc. "Two Relatives of Different Ecology: A Field Study of Paphiopedilum emersonii and Paphiopedilum hangianum." Orchids 74, no. 3 (Mar 2005): 208-15.
- Braem, Guido J., and Guy Chiron. Paphiopedilum. Saint-Genis Laval, France: Tropicalia, 2003.
- Cribb, P.J. The Genus Paphiopedilum. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Natural History Publications in association with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1998.
- Cribb, P.J., L. Yi-Bo, and G. Siu. "Observations on Paphiopedilum emersonii in South-East Guizhou." Orchid Conservation News 4 (May 2004): 12-15.
- Karasawa, K. "Karyomorphological Studies on Nine Species of Paphiopedilum." Bulletin of the Hiroshima Botanical Garden 8 (1986): 23-42.
Primary Hybrids
| Paph. emersonii x |
Hybrid |
| armeniacum |
Franz Glanz |
| delenatii |
Joyce Hasegawa |
| malipoense |
Memoria Larry Heuer |
| micranthum |
Lola Bird |
| vietnamense |
Wössner Vietnam Moon |
| bellatulum |
Cam's Cloud |
| concolor |
Earl Koldyke |
| godefroyae |
Wössner Godeem |
| niveum |
Sugar Suite |
| fairrieanum |
India Ennenga |
| ciliolare |
Wössner Ciliem |
| kolopakingii |
Mocassins |
| rothschildianum |
Gerd Röllke |
| stonei |
Hakata Doll Izu |
| chamberlainianum |
Wössner Emercham |
| glaucophyllum |
Pat Kalina |
| primulinum |
Summer Ice
 |
Return to the Data Sheets Page
Page Created By: Stephen Manza
Last Updated: 12-5-06
contact: silence882@gmail.com
