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Paphiopedilum papuanum (Ridley ex Rendle) L.O. Williams

• Described: Ridley ex Rendle in Gardener's Chronicle, 3rd series, 58: 131 (1915)
• Transferred: L.O. Williams in Botanical Museum Leaflets, Harvard University, 12(5): 149 (1946)
• Etymology: Named for its island of origin, Papua (New Guinea).
• Varieties & Forms: none
• Synonyms:
  Paphiopedilum zieckianum Schoser in Die Orchidee, 18(1): 1-7 (1967)
• Chromosome Count - unknown

Plant Habit

• Leaves: 4-6, 7-22 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, mottled dark and light green
• Inflorescence: 1-flowered, 15-28 cm long, purple, pubescent
• Bloom: 6-9 cm wide
• Plant: found as single growths in nature

Habitat Data

• Distribution -
  
• Elevation: 800-1050, 1700 m
• Peak Flowering in the Wild: ?
• Ecology: found just below the tops of limestone ridges
• Mean Temperature Range: 18-23°C
• Light: light shade
• Medium: loose humus & leaf litter over the rock beneath
• Water (D-drier, M-moderate, W-wetter) -

  Month

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  Feb

  Mar

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  May

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  Dec

  Water

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  M

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  M

  M

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  W

Notes:

• Most plants in cultivation under the name Paph. papuanum are actually color forms of Paph. violascens.  Paph. papuanum has proven to be very difficult to grow from seed.  However, I have heard of two nurseries that have had some success and artificially propagated seedlings may soon be available.
• This species is one of the rarest in cultivation and only three collections appear in the literature.  The type specimen was collected during the Wollaston expedition to Mount Carstensz (now Puncak Jaya) in 1913.  In 1961, it was recollected by Zieck in the Arfak Mountains.  This taxon was redescribed as Paph. zieckianum by Gustav Schoser, who either did not recognize it as the 'lost' Paph. papuanum or was unaware of the original description (more likely, given the many documents lost or destroyed during the Second World War).  A third collection was reported by Reeve from Southern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea.  Despite its infrequent mention in the literature, a number of collections by commercial dealers have been made and the plant has been [illegally] exported.

Sources:

• Azadehdel, H., and P. Mattes. "The Rediscovery of Paphiopedilum papuanum and Paphiopedilum zieckianum." Orchid Digest 52, no. 1 (Jan/Mar 1988).
• Braem, Guido J., and Guy Chiron. Paphiopedilum. Saint-Genis Laval, France: Tropicalia, 2003.
• Cribb, Phillip J. The Genus Paphiopedilum. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Natural History Publications in association with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1998.
• Gruss, O. "Albino Forms of the Slipper Orchids." Orchid Digest 69, no. 4 (Oct/Dec 2005): 204-29.
• Millar, Andree. Orchids of Papua New Guinea. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1999.

Primary Hybrids - none registered

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Page Created By: Stephen Manza
Last Updated: 7-23-06
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