# Paph. emersonii



## Cordulus (Jun 2, 2021)

(Sib cross)

A very beautiful and misunderstood species that has rapidly become my favorite Parvisepalum, if not my favorite species of slipper. As was the case with my fairrie, I was very hesitant to even buy this plant at first, but I caved after taking some time to learn how the species grows in the wild. I wasn't expecting to see anything other than a hole in my wallet, but suffice to say that I no longer regret dropping the sixty-five dollars on it, even though it's kept me on the edge of my seat since I bought it almost three years ago.

This species is absolutely SLOW to do everything - the growths grew at less than a snail's pace, and the spikes took almost nine months to develop since the time I first saw sheaths forming. There were times when I thought the buds were going to blast, since parts of the trailing inflorescence turned brown. However, they both ended up opening into what you see now. In life, the flowers are a very pale cream with faint burgundy flecks on the petals and a medium yellow pouch with darker spots on the interior, with a light red blush at the rim. This clone is also quite fragrant, with a scent that is reminiscent of Linden blossoms with undertones of bubble gum and oriental lily. The one grievance I have about the flowers is that they blemish and bruise _very_ easily - I don't know how folks get their plants to shows in pristine condition.

The single most important piece of advice that I can give to anyone attempting to grow this species is to make sure it _never _stays wet. Culturally, it behaves a lot more like an intermediate-growing Angraecoid than a Paph, needing a warmer growing season with frequent waterings done only after the medium has dried, and a cooler, drier winter rest. The plant's thick, coriaceus leaves should be a clue-in that it wants to be kept on the drier side. I have it growing in a very coarse bark mix with pieces of perlite and a THIN layer of moss at the surface of the pot. Since I have very low humidity, I use the moss layer to prevent dry spots at the top of the pot and make the medium dry more evenly between waterings. As with other Paphs, I change the medium out yearly. Since the species hails from calcareous cliffs, it benefits from added calcium and, as a result, my plant doesn't mind being watered with the city's very hard water. I would describe the light requirement as bright shade - not quite as bright as Multis, but not as shady as mottle-leaved barbata types.

I'm hoping that this one does not succumb to the monocarpic tendencies that others have observed in their clones. I'm going to interpret the new growths as a good sign but, to improve my odds, I'm going to be cutting the flowers off before they have a chance to fade so that the plant can focus on growing. The pollen is going to be donated to a local grower this time around but, when the plant is strong enough to support a pod, I want to either self it or cross it with another clone. I was going to self it this blooming, but I don't want to risk stressing it out, since I figure that the two flowers are already a strain on the plant.


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## musa (Jun 2, 2021)

Very beautiful!
And many thanks for your description of your conditions and growing experiences!


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## Ozpaph (Jun 2, 2021)

really lovely


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## monocotman (Jun 2, 2021)

Beautiful and some great information!
David


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## DrLeslieEe (Jun 2, 2021)

Nice clump going on there. Well done with the fantastic growing. 

Mine are just one growths mature size but no blooms yet. I only moved them to cool winters in Feb. So maybe next year it might decide to bloom. Or not lol.


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## Markhamite (Jun 2, 2021)

Beautiful. Makes me want to try this species again. With your cultural tips, maybe 3rd time lucky.


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## Duck Slipper (Jun 2, 2021)

Very nicely done. Haven’t tried this specie yet. Yours looks thriving!


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## Paphman910 (Jun 2, 2021)

Wow! I would say this is a really well grown species that is rarely seen! The flowers are absolutely beautiful!


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## Cordulus (Jun 3, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Nice clump going on there. Well done with the fantastic growing.
> 
> Mine are just one growths mature size but no blooms yet. I only moved them to cool winters in Feb. So maybe next year it might decide to bloom. Or not lol.



I've noticed that the growths top out at about 5 or 6 leaves before pushing out sheaths in the fall (in my area). The change in temps should help things move along (or trundle, as is the case with this species).



Duck Slipper said:


> Very nicely done. Haven’t tried this specie yet. Yours looks thriving!



Thanks! I'm cautiously optimistic about the new growths and the vigor. Given how slowly this thing moves, I'm probably not gonna see the next batch of flowers until 2023 or the year after LOL

I'm very tempted to buy myself a second clone.



Paphman910 said:


> Wow! I would say this is a really well grown species that is rarely seen! The flowers are absolutely beautiful!



Thanks. I definitely think it should be more widely grown, even if its culture takes some getting used to. Hopefully, more vigorous clones of this species will make their way into the hobby, as they did with roths and delenatiis.


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## NEslipper (Jun 5, 2021)

Beautiful! I have not been brave enough to try one yet, but you certainly have the culture down, congrats!


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