# Alba, album, aureum



## kiwi (Jan 11, 2016)

Could someone please explain the difference between the three of these? I am a relative greenhorn and would like to know how to use these terms properly. 
Thanks


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## troy (Jan 11, 2016)

Don't get any of the formentioned paphs varities, there are no color, and the colorful paphs are the best, check out haynaldianum, they are easy to grow and very colorful


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## SlipperFan (Jan 11, 2016)

For alba and album, the difference is in the ending. If a genus ends in "um" like Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedilum, then it is album. If the genus ends in "a" like Cattleya, then it is alba. That's about all I can help with.


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## paphioboy (Jan 11, 2016)

troy said:


> Don't get any of the formentioned paphs varities, there are no color, and the colorful paphs are the best, check out haynaldianum, they are easy to grow and very colorful



What he said :rollhappy: :rollhappy:


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## Ozpaph (Jan 11, 2016)

SlipperFan said:


> For alba and album, the difference is in the ending. If a genus ends in "um" like Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedilum, then it is album. If the genus ends in "a" like Cattleya, then it is alba. That's about all I can help with.



agreed, it depends on the Latin root. Alba means white - ie should, strictly speaking, be pure white.
aureum means 'gold', so yellow flowers without red pigment.
albo-viride means green and white - ie 'green' Maudiae (barbata) paphs, for example.


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## kiwi (Jan 12, 2016)

okay,
So if I am looking to get a flask of villosum alba from Sam would it be more correct to be called villosum album?
And if green and white are called albo-virde then why are charlsworthii and henryanum counterparts called album?
Also I have an armeniacum labeled flavum so should this be called aureum?
Man this is confusing


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## Ozpaph (Jan 12, 2016)

That's why I said 'strictly speaking'; if its not white its not 'album'. I understand they should all be called albo-viride. As you're finding out people use the term 'album' to describe non-red-pigmented flowers. The term has been used so commonly, incorrectly, that its just accepted and people know what you mean.
Flavum = yellow, aureum = gold - so probably splitting hairs.


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## cnycharles (Jan 12, 2016)

Remembering a phal equestris that had a var aureum ending, that species didn't 'normally' have an all yellow lip so one missing the other colors left it an aureum. Armeniacums are already normally yellow, if it's lacking spots then it's called 'something else; I would guess album or var whatever the botanist decides to call it 
And also if you are buying something from a vendor they are likely to give it some interesting name to differentiate it from competitors and it may be not really different than anything else


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## PaphMadMan (Jan 12, 2016)

The issue of alba vs. album has been covered. I would just add that it could also be albus depending on the genus, and the same goes for aurea/um/us and many other terms. Other terms like alboviride do not vary in the same way. 

From a quick search of just a couple sources, it appears that Paph villosum var. (or forma) album has never been published. The flask from Sam may correspond to Paph villosum forma aureum. Either album or aureum should refer to a variant with no reddish pigment in this case. A yellow or green flower could validly be called album, as long as the type form does have reddish pigments and the yellow or green is characteristic background color for the species not an usual variant. There is really no rule on that. It depends on what has been validly published.

In this case there is a published name that probably applies, aureum, so it is a bit sloppy to use alba or even album. The problem is, except for maybe about 5 people world-wide, no one knows (or at least has an opinion about) what varieties or forms have been validly published for many species without looking it up. And in many cases the valid form might not be a color designation at all. Paphiopedilum fairrieanum forma bohlmannianum is the recognized name for green and white Paph fairrieanum without any reddish pigment. 

In many cases there may be no validly published name to apply to the color form in question. And there is no formal way to refer to color phases of a man made hybrid. It is best to avoid something like Paph villosum album if it hasn't been validly published, or Paph Maudiae alba ever. At all times, a phrase like "an alba form of X" would be correct use of language and not violate any scientific rules, though a little awkward.


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