# cypripedium formosanum



## Hakone (May 11, 2008)

3 week after desflask


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## biothanasis (May 11, 2008)

WOW! They will be excellent when they grow up...


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## NYEric (May 11, 2008)

Fantastic! You can tell they're formosanum by the pleated leaves already. If I ever get to Germany again I'll have to bring some besseae hybrids to trade for some cyp. reginae albums!


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 11, 2008)

Looking good! One thing I've found with this plant - you may find that many of them will not come up the first year, but don't worry! They will come up the second year. I don't know why, but seedlings of this species will wait a year before growing above ground even if they have good growth buds. I planted out 20+ seedlings last spring and only 2 grew. This spring they all showed up and are growing strongly.


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## Hakone (May 12, 2008)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> Looking good! One thing I've found with this plant - you may find that many of them will not come up the first year, but don't worry! They will come up the second year. I don't know why, but seedlings of this species will wait a year before growing above ground even if they have good growth buds. I planted out 20+ seedlings last spring and only 2 grew. This spring they all showed up and are growing strongly.



Hello KyushuCalanthe,
thank you, I heard of the cyp. japonicum forma album in Japan, tune that?
I know only:
- cyp. reginae forma album
- cyp. macranthos forma album
- cyp. flavum forma album
- cyp. manchuriacum forma album
- cyp. ventriculosum forma album
- cyp. acaule forma album


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 12, 2008)

Hakone said:


> Hello KyushuCalanthe,
> thank you, I heard of the cyp. japonicum forma album in Japan, tune that?
> I know only:
> - cyp. reginae forma album
> ...



Yes, there is a true alba form of C. japonicum in Japan, and I suspect they must also be found in China as well, but I have no direct knowledge of that. Believe it or not, there also is a very rare true alba C. formosanum, but they are very very rare. I don't have these plants, but I have seen the alba C. japonicum one time at a nursery. The plants were not for sale.

Regarding your list of alba forms, I would consider the alba forms of C. reginae, C. macranthos, C. x ventricosum, and C. acaule as true albas. The alba form of C. flavum is just a very pale flower, not a true alba. C. x manschuricum is a synonym for C. x ventricosum even though it looks distinctly different. The only other species I know of that have true alba forms are C. calcicolum (AKA C. smithii), C. montanum, and C. guttatum. Others may exist, but they are slipping my mind now or haven't yet been announced or discovered...

Happy growing!

Tom


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