# Paphiopedilum venustums from Japan GrandPrix 2020



## DrLeslieEe (Feb 14, 2020)

As most know on here that I have been on the lookout for cool venustums. 

So I found several colour forms of these venustums at the Tokyo Dome show which I will be hauling back to add to my collection. It’s amazing the colour variations that exists! There are red petals, orange petals, green pouch and reddish pouches. Check these out.


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## Duck Slipper (Feb 14, 2020)

Very nice! Thanks for sharing!


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## Duck Slipper (Feb 14, 2020)

Very nice! Thanks for sharing!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Feb 14, 2020)

Nice, BTW, where do you live? I'm in Fukuoka...


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 14, 2020)

I’m visiting Tokyo show for one week. I live in Toronto lol


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## gego (Feb 14, 2020)

Those are really big healthy plants, did you ask for the culture? First pic shows white stuff on the older leaves of the biggest plant, heavy fertilizing? Excellent choices.
Thanks


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## KyushuCalanthe (Feb 14, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> I’m visiting Tokyo show for one week. I live in Toronto lol


Ha, ha. I figured that you might live here since bringing flowering Paphs out of country is a bit of a hassle. Not to be nosy, but how did you set up all the documentation?


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 15, 2020)

I have import permits and CITES from show organizers. I will get phyto from airport on the day I leave.


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 15, 2020)

gego said:


> Those are really big healthy plants, did you ask for the culture? First pic shows white stuff on the older leaves of the biggest plant, heavy fertilizing? Excellent choices.
> Thanks


Sprays to prevent rot.


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 15, 2020)

The venustum family just expanded lol


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 15, 2020)

Which ones should I cross each other with?


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## KyushuCalanthe (Feb 15, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> I have import permits and CITES from show organizers. I will get phyto from airport on the day I leave.


Fantastic haul. I thought of going this year, but I'm in money conservation mode right now, hehe. I is great you managed to get all the necessary docs assembled for export. Ignorant question (number 2): are Japanese lines of breeding in this species better than in America?


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 16, 2020)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> Fantastic haul. I thought of going this year, but I'm in money conservation mode right now, hehe. I is great you managed to get all the necessary docs assembled for export. Ignorant question (number 2): are Japanese lines of breeding in this species better than in America?


The Japanese breeders secure the best plants from all over the world to breed with. Then they do line breeding for characteristics of colour and form, rather than size. As a result their plants are better coloured and form, and usually smaller. So yes, the flowers are usually top quality. 

Look at these two plants I got today to join the venustum family. Good colour and form. Note that one plant had flowers with different pouch colours, due to opening in different temperatures. This means that colour can be influenced by low night temperatures (the colder, the darker) epigenetically. Fascinating!


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## monocotman (Feb 16, 2020)

Those are top class!
David


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## musa (Feb 16, 2020)

Thanks for showing your venustum's!
Interesting how different the aim of breeding can be!


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## Burlingtonguy (Feb 17, 2020)

Hmmm. If you ever get board with them, I would LOVE to take a couple off your hands...LOL


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## GuRu (Feb 17, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> As most know on here that I have been on the lookout for cool venustums.
> So I found several colour forms of these venustums at the Tokyo Dome show which I will be hauling back to add to my collection. It’s amazing the colour variations that exists! There are red petals, orange petals, green pouch and reddish pouches. Check these out.



Great and furthermore one is disguising as P. wardii... 
But seriously I had to cover my keyboard to protect it from drool which is dripping out of y mouth. These flowers are excellent and I must admit so far I haven't seen such a abundance of quality in one place. Congrats


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 18, 2020)

Yes that one is a giant wardii lol. Not as black or flat as the one I got last year but quite majestic. 

And yes when I’m bored with them in 2 years or so, I will let everyone know here lol

And I’m so lucky to have found these babies which were on my want list (rather essential NEED list) since I saw the previous posts. So many enablers here and I love it lol.


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## Ozpaph (Feb 19, 2020)

Did they/you get home ok?


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 19, 2020)

Ozpaph said:


> Did they/you get home ok?


Yes I’m home now and the babies are safe. Will be repotted tomorrow into their new homes. Along with 50 others lol. 

Are you back too OzPaph?


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## Erythrone (Feb 19, 2020)

Stunning collection... I will discard my 2 venustums... they are so uggly compared to yours !  Maybe someday I could buy a compot of your cross....


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## SlipperKing (Feb 19, 2020)

Good stuff coming down the road!


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## DrLeslieEe (Feb 20, 2020)

Thanks! Lets hope the pods take without harming the plants too much.


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## Ozpaph (Feb 20, 2020)

yep and got my flasks through customs!


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## BrucherT (Feb 20, 2020)

Saw these on Facebook. One of the owners mentioned that he got it from Hawaii. Then got snooty when I asked about the vendor. So be it. But the pics are cool


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## BrucherT (Feb 20, 2020)

Erythrone said:


> Stunning collection... I will discard my 2 venustums... they are so uggly compared to yours !  Maybe someday I could buy a compot of your cross....


I’d want to see the venustems you’re discarding...


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 30, 2020)

Erythrone said:


> Stunning collection... I will discard my 2 venustums... they are so uggly compared to yours !  Maybe someday I could buy a compot of your cross....


I didn’t cross any of them yet as they were all bare root to cross international customs. They will need to establish and grow another year before holding pods. Next year I’ll sib them.


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 30, 2020)

Since Taiwan WOC was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns, I did manage to secure a few different venustums from Taiwan through a good friend. One had a red pouch!!! Another with red petals. Third with orange pouch.


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 30, 2020)

BrucherT said:


> Saw these on Facebook. One of the owners mentioned that he got it from Hawaii. Then got snooty when I asked about the vendor. So be it. But the pics are cool


Colors are nice but form isn’t great. The majority of venustums have reflexed petals. The good ones will stay flat without curling. Those are the ones that should be bred on. 

BTW ... Most of the paphs are from Quintal Farm or Hilo nurseries. Try them?


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 30, 2020)

Btw does anyone know where I can find articles on the various forms of venustums (other than the Paph books in general circulation?)? I think Pradmani (?) from India did an article... though I can’t find it. Thanks!


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 30, 2020)

Oh, and I added another one I saw on display from the Burlington Orchid Show in late February of this year. I really liked the intense dark pink lip, veined dark green with a contrasting golden yellow rim. Striking colors overall. Turns out it belonged to another orchid friend in Toronto, who was willing to part with it for a good price.

Not sure if I will breed with it in future because the petals do fold back on the superior margin of the distal halves. 

It is however a huge flower, about 12 cm NS with a very large flat dorsal sepal. It also has venustum ‘Foxcatcher’ FCC/AOS as a direct parent. Tag said Orchid Inn as source. 

So it has provenance and possess qualities that may prove useful as a pod parent to increase floral size and produce intensely dark lip.


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## tomkalina (Mar 30, 2020)

Very nice selection! Love the petal variations.


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## tomkalina (Mar 30, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Btw does anyone know where I can find articles on the various forms of venustums (other than the Paph books in general circulation?)? I think Pradmani (?) from India did an article... though I can’t find it. Thanks!


Orchid Digest, Nov.-Dec. 1975 by Udai C Pradhan. Pp. 204-210


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 30, 2020)

Thanks Tom for the article. It will be very helpful for my research.


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## tomkalina (Mar 30, 2020)

Your welcome! The fun will be to decide whether some of the differences in floral morphology are entitled to varietal status.


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## Guldal (Mar 31, 2020)

Oh, Leslie, you leave me gasping!


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 31, 2020)

tomkalina said:


> Your welcome! The fun will be to decide whether some of the differences in floral morphology are entitled to varietal status.


Yes it seems like there are quite a few varieties that have been described over the last 200 years since its discovery. Many groups were isolated 15,000 years ago and continued their own lineages. Some show quite big differnces as in size of flower parts, wart sixe/quantity and pouch/petal colors. I will need to sort out true stabilized population vs one-offs individual cultivars. It will a fun project.


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 31, 2020)

Guldal said:


> Oh, Leslie, you leave me gasping!


LOL.... Please lie down, knees bend and take slow deliberate breaths. Feel better?


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## lori.b (Mar 31, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Yes that one is a giant wardii lol. Not as black or flat as the one I got last year but quite majestic.
> 
> And yes when I’m bored with them in 2 years or so, I will let everyone know here lol
> 
> And I’m so lucky to have found these babies which were on my want list (rather essential NEED list) since I saw the previous posts. So many enablers here and I love it lol.


Hey Leslie, I live in Canada too so shipping the ones you get "bored" with would be no problem at all. Just sayin'..........


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## DrLeslieEe (Mar 31, 2020)

lori.b said:


> Hey Leslie, I live in Canada too so shipping the ones you get "bored" with would be no problem at all. Just sayin'..........


Lori, your offer is noted LOL.


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## Hien (Apr 2, 2020)

since you like paph venustum so much i think you would like this too,
and if you said the Japanese breeders secure the best plants from all over the world to breed with, I bet they are on the hunt for this one just as much as you.

https://www.orchidsforum.com/threads/paphiopedilum-venustum-svo-am-aos-x-christmas-highlight.19954/



DrLeslieEe said:


> The Japanese breeders secure the best plants from all over the world to breed with. Then they do line breeding for characteristics of colour and form, rather than size. As a result their plants are better coloured and form, and usually smaller. So yes, the flowers are usually top quality.
> 
> Look at these two plants I got today to join the venustum family. Good colour and form. Note that one plant had flowers with different pouch colours, due to opening in different temperatures. This means that colour can be influenced by low night temperatures (the colder, the darker) epigenetically. Fascinating!
> 
> ...


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 2, 2020)

Thanks Hien. I have actually been eyeing this one for a while. I will contact the grower and hope all is well in NYC where they are located in the midst of the hot-zone of COVID. Best wishes and prayers to NY.


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## Guldal (Apr 3, 2020)

Hien said:


> since you like paph venustum so much i think you would like this too,
> and if you said the Japanese breeders secure the best plants from all over the world to breed with, I bet they are on the hunt for this one just as much as you.
> 
> https://www.orchidsforum.com/threads/paphiopedilum-venustum-svo-am-aos-x-christmas-highlight.19954/



That venustum, Hien, is CRAZY-WOAW! They ought to be on the lookout for it - probably ready to offer their right arm for it!


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 3, 2020)

It is indeed stunning... I've made an offer LOL


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## Hien (Apr 4, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Thanks Hien. I have actually been eyeing this one for a while. I will contact the grower and hope all is well in NYC where they are located in the midst of the hot-zone of COVID. Best wishes and prayers to NY.


 for some reason the contact feature on your profile does not work I can not send a "start conversation" to you.
the message appear "error" however I think if you send a start conversation to me, maybe I could reply, see if it works, I would like to send you a reply regarding your question on venustum


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## Hien (Apr 5, 2020)

Hien said:


> for some reason the contact feature on your profile does not work I can not send a "start conversation" to you.
> the message appear "error" however I think if you send a start conversation to me, maybe I could reply, see if it works, I would like to send you a reply regarding your question on venustum


 hi Leslie, never mind this post, I did not realize you already contact the owner of the plant for a division, good luck with your endeavor , don't forget to self it, or cross it with something dark, line breeding in that direction.


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## BrucherT (Apr 5, 2020)

DrLeslieEe said:


> Since Taiwan WOC was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns, I did manage to secure a few different venustums from Taiwan through a good friend. One had a red pouch!!! Another with red petals. Third with orange pouch.
> 
> View attachment 19041
> View attachment 19043
> View attachment 19044


Omg that pouch is INSANE.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 5, 2020)

Hien said:


> hi Leslie, never mind this post, I did not realize you already contact the owner of the plant for a division, good luck with your endeavor , don't forget to self it, or cross it with something dark, line breeding in that direction.


Yes indeed I will if I get a division of this red pouch. I will breed it onwards to save the gene pool!! That’s my goal and intention.


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## DrLeslieEe (Apr 5, 2020)

BrucherT said:


> Omg that pouch is INSANE.


Isn’t it? I have repotted this plant carefully and watch it like a hawk daily lol. This plant will be used to line breed for red pouches.


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