Science is not static. Perhaps one day someone will prove me wrong using the same science I applied to the checklist of species. I am on the record in numerous places that as our knowledge expands, our understanding of the species concept and how we apply that to the genus must also expand. In 20, 30, 50 years I hope we have not only more actual species in the genus (such as kovachii, besseae and cabrejosii) but more access (assuming we don't wipe everything out) to the habitats so we can test and verify our assumptions and propositions. That being said, there does appear to be agreement that certain species are synonyms of others and that is not likely to change. Those names include ecuadorense, czerwiakowianum, reticulatum, kaieteurum and unpublished names such as amazonica. The last three publications on the genus (Cribb, Braem, and myself) agree on more than it might seem at first blush and that each of these names are synonyms of others is not in doubt at this time.
For those of us in the Phragmipedium community that want to understand the name on the tag in the pot, peeling back the layers is important to us. For example, notwithstanding agreement in all three of the aforementioned deep dives into the genus that ecudorense is not a species (it never was and I explain in detail why) there are still commercial growers pushing "fantastic, wow, special" breeding lines on the Phragmipedium community based on ecuadorense. Not only is this wrong, it leads to a profusion of additional hybrid names that serve no purpose other than to confuse and generate plant sales. There is a reason so many hybrids look alike, some hybrids are indistinguishable from species, and multiple names apply to the same plants. The registry contains numerous errors, which I am sure will be corrected eventually. Until that time groups such as this serve an important function in helping understand not only the recent profusion of names, but how to grow our plants.
Always happy to help at anytime, lets keep it focused on the plants and civil.
I am waiting for one of my Phrag. vitattum to put up a spike. I might be here looking for pollen or pod parents to get some hybrids going. It is a ***** to grow so any flower is priceless.
Best,
Frank
