Not a roebelinii

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Rick

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I picked this Paph phillipinense 4 or more years ago. Actually bidding on it over the phone during my sons wedding:evil: The tag said it was a roebelinii, but when I saw how compact the plant was I was not convinced, and needed to see how it bloomed out.



I guess its pale enough to be a laevegatum, but its definitely not a roebelinii.

I think its attractive enough otherwise, and if the other growths spike the flower count would be good.

Petals are only 12cm long for reference.
 
I like this one, a nice form, not often seen in the USA anymore.

As you already know, roebelenii and laevigatum have no scientific meaning, nomen nudum. The names are horticulture terms without type collection location data. These names are no longer recognized by taxonomists. So philippinense is the correct name.

Just about every island in the Philippine archipelago has its own unique geographic race, without provenance of the original collection location, philippinense will have to do. I used to have a couple philippinense plants that supposedly came from Samar Island that looked a lot like this one, but alas they went downhill one cold winter when my basement grow area ran a lot cooler than normal.

I think Ross and others who are looking toward creating compact ''tea cup size'' Paph hybrids might be interested in this type of philippinense. Worth growing to preserve some of the diversity of the species. Not all have to look like the horticultural idea of laevigatum, or roebelenii, the philippinense species encompasses a much wider range of types then the few we currently keep in most orchid collections. Nice to see some of the smaller ones are still around.
 
I like this one, a nice form, not often seen in the USA anymore.

As you already know, roebelenii and laevigatum have no scientific meaning, nomen nudum. The names are horticulture terms without type collection location data. These names are no longer recognized by taxonomists. So philippinense is the correct name.


No this taxa are not just nomina nuda.

Paphiopedilum philippinense var. roebelenii has been described as variety by Cribb in his "Genus Paphiopedilum" in 1987 (basing on A.H. Kents description as Cypripedium philippinense var. roebelenii in 1889). This is a description following the nomenclatural rules in botany. See also KEW: http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=147220

Concerning to Paphiopedilum philippinense var. laevigatum, you are half-right.
The taxon laevigatum has been formally acceptable described in Paphiopedilum laevigatum (basing on an old description as Cypripedium laevigatum). See KEW: http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=147159 .
But the use of this taxon as varietas is just a 'naked name' as there is no accepted combination of this taxon from species to variety. Just in horticultural use people thought it would fit better as variety, so they wrote it down that way without following the nomenclatural rules which makes 'var. laevigatum' just a 'naked name'.
 
Worth growing to preserve some of the diversity of the species.

I think so too Leo:wink:

Not sure if I should self it or just keep growing it.

I guess its easy enough to self and send the seed to TM. If I'm not in the mood for raising seedlings I can always donate my flask back into the program.
 
The leavigatum phili plant is alot smaller than robellini with distinctly different blooms
 
The leavigatum phili plant is alot smaller than robellini with distinctly different blooms

Yes this one is a midget compared to my "bonified" roebelinii's

That's why I was in such anticipation of blooming this thing, as the tag was obviously incorrect.
 
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