# most bizarre paph ever



## paphiness (Feb 25, 2008)

I hold that the original Star Trek series was still the best of all the Star Trek shows. In one very memorable episode, “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield,” the Enterprise encounters the last two individuals from the planet Arianis. These two men are of different races: one is solid black on his left side and white on his right, while the other is the opposite. They are sworn enemies, and one has been chasing the other for 50,000 years. (!)

In the thumbnail below, you can see one of the gentleman from planet Arianis.

Now, if you want to see an orchid from planet Arianis, click here (NOTE: viewer discretion is advised):

http://slipperorchidblog.com/?p=77


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## Ernie (Feb 25, 2008)

I'm guessing Photoshop magic. 

-Ernie


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## biothanasis (Feb 25, 2008)

I think that it cannot happen in real!!!! I agree with Ernie...


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## rdlsreno (Feb 25, 2008)

Ernie said:


> I'm guessing Photoshop magic.
> 
> -Ernie



Exactly!!!

Ramon


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## Mrs. Paph (Feb 25, 2008)

That would be an awful lot of trouble to go through in photoshop I think.


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## Heather (Feb 25, 2008)

I think it's cool!


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## paphiness (Feb 25, 2008)

I agree that it would be an awful lot of trouble to do this with Photoshop.

There was no Photoshop involved.

This plant was described at the Paph Guild in January 2008, and originated from the Orchid Zone. I happened to be sitting next to Mr. Terry Root (and his wife Samantha) after his talk, and arranged to purchase it from him once I heard about it.

Besides all of the great folks at the Orchid Zone, some people who visited OZ prior to the Paph Guild got to see this plant in person.


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## biothanasis (Feb 25, 2008)

And how did it manage to maintain this strict line???? How DNAs did not merge with each other???? REally bizzare!!!!!!!


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## Candace (Feb 25, 2008)

I think it deserves an award just for utter bizareness. Along with my new paphothallid.


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## biothanasis (Feb 25, 2008)

Candace said:


> I think it deserves an award just for utter bizareness. Along with my new paphothallid.



x0ax0ax0ax0ax0a!!!!!!!!!!


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## philoserenus (Feb 25, 2008)

well i guess anything can happen these days and in nature. just out there, i doubt it would survive easily or pass on itz progeny. but thats ok. this is y we have divisions ^^


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## ohio-guy (Feb 25, 2008)

Maybe someone can tell me how to do a link to another thread......There was a prior post with similar slightly less symmetric chimera paph.
I don't know how to link the thread, but do a search for
"alba surprise"......posted by Miss Paphiopedilum


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## PaphMadMan (Feb 25, 2008)

When 2 genetically distinct tissue types persist side-by-side in a plant like this it is called a sectoral chimaera. It is actually fairly common - many variegated ornamental plants are sectoral chimaeras. What makes this one unusual is the strong color contrast and the near perfect bilateral symmetry maintained even through the flower. New growths will each show a different arrangement of colors, some just a narrow strip of contrast, some all dark or all light, perhaps multiple sectors that appear as stripes, etc. It almost certainly will not breed true. Still, it is fascinating and beautiful.

PaphMadMan (Kirk)


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## paphiness (Feb 25, 2008)

I think PaphMadMan is right on the money. This is not a first-time bloom, and on the previous bloom, this bilateral coloration was not observed; it looked normal. Inspection of the growth in question shows that the underside of the leaves are evenly split down the middle color-wise as well. 

The newest growth shows just a streak of pigmentation on its leaves, leading me to conclude that this will not breed true (>sigh<) per PaphMadMan's explantion above.


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## Candace (Feb 25, 2008)

> Maybe someone can tell me how to do a link to another thread......There was a prior post with similar slightly less symmetric chimera paph.



I could do it for you, but if you do it once on your own you'll know how to do it:>

Go to the page you're looking for and at the top of the screen you'll see a http://slippertalk.whateveraddress You highlight the full address using your mouse and holding down your mouse button. You "copy" it, then come back to this thread and hit the reply button to comment and "paste" the address in. It should post highlighted and linked.


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## ohio-guy (Feb 25, 2008)

*The link to the prior thread!....thanks Candace!*

http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4340&highlight=chimera


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## Heather (Feb 25, 2008)

Nice job, Eric. Thanks Candace, I was in the midst of something, sorry. 

Thanks to Kirk for an excellent explanation. 

Really super interesting to me. 

Dean, I'd love to see a photo of the underside of the leaves if you have time?


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## NYEric (Feb 25, 2008)

This was posted here B4. What are the Gremlins in my computer up to now?


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## ohio-guy (Feb 25, 2008)

NYEric...If you read my post and follow the link, you will see there was a similar post before, but I think this is a new one. Eric


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## tusker (Feb 25, 2008)

Freakin cool.

Like this lobster:


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## smartie2000 (Feb 25, 2008)

cool!

I have also seen in the paper a lobster that was split right in half with red and black. They said in the lobster half of the cells during early development had gone through mutation, while the other half didn't


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## NYEric (Feb 26, 2008)

ohio-guy said:


> NYEric...If you read my post and follow the link, you will see there was a similar post before, but I think this is a new one. Eric


Yep, you're correct. I'm suprised to see something so unusual again! I would love to see a bunch of plants like this I would buy them no question. It's the best of both maud. worlds. Umm, can't they reproduce in lab-clones!?


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## SlipperFan (Feb 26, 2008)

Photoshop could do it, but I don't think it did.


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## Roth (Feb 27, 2008)

I happened to have had to clone some sansieveria... and it is extremely difficult to keep the tissues jointed in the same way. Actually, the only way is to start with a "big" explant, and control the hormons/growth rate very, very carefully. Those chimaeras can have one part growing faster than the other one, and overcome the whole, to give a "normal" plant. It happens sometimes with variegated dendrobium, you have to cut from time to time a growth here and there, or they revert back to normal.

I will take pics, but I have a micranthum with similar leaves, half alba half normal, and a very, very weird delenatii. The flowers are like a very good normal delenatii, but small, 5cm.


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## likespaphs (Feb 28, 2008)

here's a different but similar post....
http://www.slippertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4340&highlight=chimera


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