# Paphiopedilum wardii ‘Monster’



## DrLeslieEe (Apr 12, 2021)

This flower is just opening and is huge! Almost 13 cm in NS and still expanding today. Maybe it will reach FCC size of 14 cm.

That’s why I name him Monster!

Don’t look him wrong in the eye lol. Scary up close and personal.

Unless you’re a FLY lol.


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## kiwi (Apr 12, 2021)

That’s very impressive. What is the parentage!


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## dodidoki (Apr 12, 2021)

Great wardii!Very nice shape.Can you post a pic in natural light?


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## Ozpaph (Apr 12, 2021)

hope it stays flat


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## GuRu (Apr 12, 2021)

Leslie, this is an extraordinary Paph. wardii not only by its huge size. Congrats


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 12, 2021)

Thanks everyone.

Here it is in natural light and different backgrounds:


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## dodidoki (Apr 12, 2021)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Thanks everyone.
> 
> Here it is in natural light and different backgrounds:
> 
> ...


Many thanks Leslie.Flower is excellent but leaf pattern disturbes me, it is very different at wardiis.Another thing is not typicaI is rose end of petals.I feel I must face with the same problem what I can see at so called sanderianums although most of them are sanderianum x MK backcrossings.Any opinion?


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 12, 2021)

kiwi said:


> That’s very impressive. What is the parentage!


Here is parentage on tag:


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 12, 2021)

dodidoki said:


> Many thanks Leslie.Flower is excellent but leaf pattern disturbes me, it is very different at wardiis.Another thing is not typicaI is rose end of petals.I feel I must face with the same problem what I can see at so called sanderianums although most of them are sanderianum x MK backcrossings.Any opinion?


The leaves of wardii can range in pattern. Here below I show the various wardiis I have:

Wardii ‘Monster’




Wardii atrobrunneum




Wardii ‘Black Petal’




Wardii album




As for pink in petals, based on lighting, they can reflect pink tones like the following wardiis on OrchidWiz.




Furthermore, the staminode is unmistakable.

Looking at hybrids of wardii, you can see variations of pouch shape and petal angles that will differentiate them. The only species that can add to it with long petal length is sukhakulii but this flower doesn’t look to have the strong traits of sukhakulii.

Based on all these, I can safely say that it is indeed a wardii.


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## littlefrog (Apr 12, 2021)

Heh... At least a couple of those wardii are mine.  I would say that the flower is within the range of what I see for wardii, I've bloomed a lot and have an HCC, two AMs, and that FCC you are trying to knock off. Size is only 10 points though...

What is the most striking to me is the lessened amount of brown/red brown in the petals, many clones have darker backgrounds over 2/3 or more of the distal petal. I suspect what looks pink at the tips would look more typical if the color stretched up more proximally. A lot of room for personal opinion there. Some people like very dense, fine spotting and color in the petals, some people like a less dense pattern. It has a really nice pouch in my opinion. That is what I noticed first.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 12, 2021)

littlefrog said:


> Heh... At least a couple of those wardii are mine.  I would say that the flower is within the range of what I see for wardii, I've bloomed a lot and have an HCC, two AMs, and that FCC you are trying to knock off. Size is only 10 points though...
> 
> What is the most striking to me is the lessened amount of brown/red brown in the petals, many clones have darker backgrounds over 2/3 or more of the distal petal. I suspect what looks pink at the tips would look more typical if the color stretched up more proximally. A lot of room for personal opinion there. Some people like very dense, fine spotting and color in the petals, some people like a less dense pattern. It has a really nice pouch in my opinion. That is what I noticed first.


Your wardiis are pretty amazing. Mine can only aspire to be like your FCC.

I like all varieties of wardii so I try to find them in good form when I can. Not easy to get quality flowering ones for sale.


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## papheteer (Apr 12, 2021)

Certainly a winner! Never thought wardii could get that big.


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## Duck Slipper (Apr 12, 2021)

The “Monster” is cool...I like him.


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## emydura (Apr 13, 2021)

Not just big but great form and colour as well.

It is funny, I have two wardii's in flower and I am on the other side of the world. I wished mine looked like yours.


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## dodidoki (Apr 13, 2021)

Leslie, many thanks for informations and details.Glad to learn from you!


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 13, 2021)

emydura said:


> Not just big but great form and colour as well.
> 
> It is funny, I have two wardii's in flower and I am on the other side of the world. I wished mine looked like yours.


Thanks Emydura. 

And how they sync Northern hemisphere bloom time with the Southern plants ... fascinating.

Also I'm curious now to see what your blooms look like?


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 13, 2021)

dodidoki said:


> Leslie, many thanks for informations and details.Glad to learn from you!


Istvan, I actually learnt through that exercise too. I had to go back and look at the plant and flower, do book comparisons and conduct online research. Was anxiously fun lol.


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## NYEric (Apr 13, 2021)

Nice, thanks for sharing. Like the dark pouch.


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## lori.b (Apr 13, 2021)

Really beautiful flower Leslie. Thanks for all the interesting information too.


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## tnyr5 (Apr 13, 2021)

Quite something. Are you going to breed with it?


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 13, 2021)

tnyr5 said:


> Quite something. Are you going to breed with it?


Thanks all.

Yes I will likely self this one and put pollen to my black petal wardii.


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## Paphman910 (Apr 13, 2021)

One of the nicest wardii I have seen. I wish I could flower them but they blast for me too many time so I got rid of them many years ago! They are real fast growers from flask and grow like weeds.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 14, 2021)

Paphman910 said:


> One of the nicest wardii I have seen. I wish I could flower them but they blast for me too many time so I got rid of them many years ago! They are real fast growers from flask and grow like weeds.


Thanks PM.

It is one of my favourite Paph species particularly the album form.

I too have blasted a precious bud last year (the solid black petal one) with too dry an atmosphere. So this year I switched to semi hydro and that seems to keep buds alive. They cannot dry out in root zone when blooming. That seems to be the secret for me. Try again!


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## Linus_Cello (Apr 14, 2021)

Semi-hydro? Your pot looks like a regular pot with bark mix. Do you just have the pot just sitting in water? Can you post a pic of the pot?


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 14, 2021)

Linus_Cello said:


> Semi-hydro? Your pot looks like a regular pot with bark mix. Do you just have the pot just sitting in water? Can you post a pic of the pot?


Yes it sits in a little water (in plastic tray) after watering for 2-4 days. If too full I’ll drain till 0.5 cm level. And wait till roots almost dry before watering. This method you must watch carefully.





My other wardii is also in semi water culture. It’s in larger pot so I use LECA clay pellets to prevent water touching organic bark. You can see the roots love to reach the water and a humid zone.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 14, 2021)

Today the flower stabilized at 13.2 cm. Pretty flat considering size.


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