# 2 forms of Paph. henryanum



## Drorchid (Sep 26, 2007)

I have a taxonomic question for anyone who may know:

In our collection we have one clone of Paph. henryanum that is very "distinct" and different compared to the rest.

Here is what I consider a "normal" Paph. henryanum:







This is the henryanum that is different:






close up:






side view:






Now what makes it different is the dorsal is very recurved, the flowers are larger than the regular form, and to me the biggest difference is the staminodal shield.

Here is a picture of the 2 side by side, showing the difference in size:






This is a close up of the staminodal shield of the regular form:






This is a close up of the different form:






notice that the tip of the staminodal shield is very different between the 2 forms. On the normal form the tip is indented, while on the different form it has a distinct tip or horn.

Now my question, is this just normal variation within the species of Paph. henryanum, or is there a form (or variety) that you know of that fits into this different form?

Robert


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## Heather (Sep 26, 2007)

Not sure this will be helpful but I had purchased a henryanum a while back from a grower who had it who said it was a division of a wild collected plant. It was very similar to your unusual one, Robert. Any chance that would make sense in your case or is this one that you bred?


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## Drorchid (Sep 26, 2007)

Jason purchased this clone from a different vendor, so they may come from the same place you got them.

Robert


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## Heather (Sep 26, 2007)

I believe I got mine from Taylor Orchids if it helps at all.


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## Drorchid (Sep 26, 2007)

Thanks, I will ask Jason where this one came from.

Robert


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## SlipperFan (Sep 26, 2007)

That's interesting, Robert. I also see a big difference in the shape of the pouch. Maybe Lance or Olaf can weigh in on this.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Sep 26, 2007)

Could yours be hermanii? That paph is supposedly of hybrid origin, with henryanum as one parent. At first I thought it was just a henryanum with a tendency to curl the dorsal...but that staminode convinced me that there must be some other genes in it....possibly villosum/boxallii? Take care, Eric


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## Corbin (Sep 26, 2007)

I do not know if it means a lot but I have noticed a difference in the _henryanum being sold on the web. For instance the one shown on Orchid Web is pictured like your "normal" with the rounded dorsal and the notched staminodal shield while the one on Gore's site has the folded back dorsal like the other example. and appears to have the same staminodal shield though it is not as clear as the picture from Orchid Web. 

Since I am interested in growing species I noticed this difference and have wondered which was the "true" species._


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## Darin (Sep 26, 2007)

I am sitting here looking at a copy of the original description for Paph. henryanum as published in Schlechteriana in 1987. The line drawing of the Staminode shield does not show either a notch or a tip. That being said, the overall shape of the one with a notch looks far closer (to my eye) to the drawing than the other one. Here is the description

"The staminoidal shield is obcordate, up to about 7mm high and 8mm wide at the lower margin; bright yellow green at the centre with a prominent, blunt, sulphureous tooth."


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## ohio-guy (Sep 27, 2007)

Is it possible the one with the flatter dorsal is the result of several generations of breeding to select for improved form? Maybe the staminode altered in the process.


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## Drorchid (Sep 27, 2007)

ohio-guy said:


> Is it possible the one with the flatter dorsal is the result of several generations of breeding to select for improved form? Maybe the staminode altered in the process.



It is true, that the one with a flatter dorsal is probably the result from a 3rd generation of line breeding, so over time we (us breeders) have kept selecting for parents that have flatter dorsals. The other one is probably more a "wild" type, so similar to ones that grow in the wild.

Robert


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## littlefrog (Sep 27, 2007)

First thing I thought on the reflexed one was 'villosum hybrid'... Are these found in the same habitat? Maybe a little hybrid swarm thing going on.


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## CodPaph (Sep 30, 2007)

As they are catch-crops always are different.


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## Corbin (Sep 30, 2007)

I do not think you can tie dorsal and staminodal shield form together. If you go to http://www.slipperorchids.info/ you can find flowers with the recurved dorsal with both forms of staminodal shield. Most of the pictures are not that clear but look particularly at the bottom right picture. This is of a bloom with the recurved dorsal and it clearly has the notched shield. Just like your "normal" form.

Ed


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## Rick (Sep 30, 2007)

In Averyanov's book Slipper Orchids of Vietnam, he discusses the large variations typical in this species in situ (northern Vietnam), mostly in the size, shape, and degree of spotting in the dorsal sepal.

From the pictures in his book, Averyanov would consider your plant to be in range of the normal variation based on the very reflexed DS. However, the staminode notch may be a whole other issue, as staminode variation is not discussed.


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## SlipperKing (Feb 22, 2008)

Another possible answer from Tanaka's website is the natural hybrid between barbigerum v. lockianum and henryanum, called x aspersum. The picture isn't the best and you can't see the staminode but it's another option.


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## Roy (Feb 22, 2008)

I just looked at the pic of henryanum on the IOSPE site and Jays pic has the pouch of your 'different' one but the staminode of the other. Here is a link to show 3 totally different forms.
http://paphs.net/media/Paphs/henryanum.htm

A quick web search brings up every combination of pouch, staminode and dorsal shapes imaginable. A genetic through back ??


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