# Anitum questions



## Duck Slipper (Mar 24, 2021)

I have been reading about Anitum’s, very few posts on ST about them. Quite a few with hybrids of anitum, but not much about the species? Why? Very difficult to grow?
Anitum adductum? Is adductum a sub species of Anitum?
No one sells them? Once again does this just go back to being so difficult to cultivate. Lots of hybrids out there...no species?


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## littlefrog (Mar 24, 2021)

For a long time it was not allowed in USA due to CITES. In theory (in theory...) if you got anitum hybrids they should have originated outside of the US where they are legal. I think they are now legally imported, and I've bought at least one flask from Sam Tsui.

It will take time to get plants out on sales tables. Right now they are extremely hard to get to a sellable size. At least for me, and I'm pretty good at it... We'll need a couple generations in captivity to get them to an easier to grow stage. You might find somebody who did a better job than me selling them in a year or two though. We saw a similar thing with sanderianum and even rothschildianum (which has been in the US for a long time, but nobody seemed to pay much attention to them until 20 years ago or so...). New generations are selected from parents which survived and bloomed, usually the first to bloom, and so each generation gets a little faster and a little easier.


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## Duck Slipper (Mar 24, 2021)

Interesting...
Thanks little frog.


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## Duck Slipper (Mar 25, 2021)

After doing more research, for those that are interested “Anitum” is a variety of “Adductum”.
Harold Koopowitz calls it the “Darth Vader” of Paphs. He also terms it as a “difficult plant to keep alive”! 
Certainly makes some beautiful hybrids though.


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## sunset (Mar 25, 2021)

I cultivated Anitum a long time ago. This Paph was slow grower.
Perhaps the difficulty would simply be to maintain a healthy plant for a long time.

Now I wish I had one again, but the only orchids producer I have found, is Elit Orchids in UK.
But due to Brexit, CITES formalities are more complicated from England to France. So I gave up for now/

Anitum (2007)


https://www.cjoint.com/data/KCzopIKAQYr_adductum-anitum-180507.jpg


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## Duck Slipper (Mar 25, 2021)

I think I would take a dive and acquire a few. If you could find them, I have no idea of price.


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## littlefrog (Mar 25, 2021)

Duck Slipper said:


> After doing more research, for those that are interested “Anitum” is a variety of “Adductum”.
> Harold Koopowitz calls it the “Darth Vader” of Paphs. He also terms it as a “difficult plant to keep alive”!
> Certainly makes some beautiful hybrids though.


Yeah. It is a challenge for sure. Adductum isn't easy either. I remember a Paph. anitum that used to come to local shows (supposedly imported pre-CITES) that was awesome. I actually bought the whole collection with the hope that it might still be in there. It wasn't. Oh well. I did get a lot of other good stuff at least.


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## Ozpaph (Mar 25, 2021)

I dont know anyone in Oz who has successfully grown and flowered one......................that's why they're rare.


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## kiwi (Mar 25, 2021)

I have one from Sam (anitum ‘Miguel’) which is about to flower. They are difficult as seedlings but take off once they get a big bigger.


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## Duck Slipper (Mar 25, 2021)

I’m on the lookout!
Glutton for punishment.


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## Ray (Mar 26, 2021)

What does the foliage of adductum look like?

I acquired a plant so labeled a couple of years ago, but I swear, with pointy leaf tips, it looks more like a phrag than a Paph.

No flowers yet - it’s a really slow grower - but over the last few months it has sprouted two new growths and the one from last year appears to be about mature.


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## Ozpaph (Mar 26, 2021)

kiwi said:


> I have one from Sam (anitum ‘Miguel’) which is about to flower. They are difficult as seedlings but take off once they get a big bigger.


You are the master!!
Tell us how you grow it, please.


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## FrankRC (Mar 26, 2021)

The area where this 'species' comes from has a distinct dry season. My guess is the vast majority of plants in cultivation have rotted. Making cultivation more tricky is how slow this species grows. Think sanderianum and roth's. A new growth won't bloom for many years after emerging, increasing the risk because we need to successfully cultivate these plants for so long to be able to get a pod. I do well with the few plants I have using clay pots, an open medium and letting these dry out between watering. Be very, very careful with cooler temps in the winter depending on where you are. These are very warm growers and lower night temps are going to kill your plants just as fast.

Good luck.


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## NYEric (Mar 26, 2021)

Ibn is the anitum expert! Search for posts here.


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## Paphman910 (Mar 26, 2021)

Talk to Carper (Gary). He uses orchidata precision grade with a bit of perlite.


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## Duck Slipper (Mar 26, 2021)

kiwi said:


> I have one from Sam (anitum ‘Miguel’) which is about to flower. They are difficult as seedlings but take off once they get a big bigger.


How about a pic now? Size and number of growths too bloom is what I was curious about. How large was it when you acquired it?


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## Martin (Mar 26, 2021)

I grew this species years ago. I got some plants around 2009/10, which were imported from a nursery. The had adductum and anitum. You can differ this two species easy by the color of the leaves. Anitum always has dark green leaves. Its very typical and only anitum has such leaf color. They established well and easy but grew sooo slow. I never had big plants, just single or double grows. Some flowered, but never got more then 2 flowers. When I had my "orchid break" I sold most of them, i dont know if they are still alive. I can confirm, that they are so sensitive to rotting of the base.
I have some insitu pics in my archive:


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## Duck Slipper (Mar 26, 2021)

In situ pics are too cool.


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