|
 |
| |
Paphiopedilum is a genus of approximately 77 species native to South China, India, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The name Paphiopedilum is derived from the Greek Paphos, a city on the island of Cyprus, and pedilon, slipper.
Paphiopedilum are considered highly collectible by growers due to the curious and unusual form of their flowers. Most naturally occur among humus layers as terrestrials on the forest floor, while a few are true epiphytes and some are lithophytes.
Paphiopedilum is a member of the subfamily Cypripedioideae, other members including Phragmipedium, Cypripedium, Mexipedium, and Selenipedium, commonly referred to as the Lady’s or Venus’ Slipper Orchids, so named from the unusual shape of the pouch of the flower, which was said to resemble a lady’s slipper. The pouch functions by trapping insects so that they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit pollinia.
The Chinese orchid Paphiopedilum armeniacum, discovered in 1979 and described in 1982, amazed growers of orchids by the extraordinary beauty of its golden flowers.
All the orchid species are prtoected under CITES with most species listed under Appendix II. Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedium are listed under CITES Appendix I that highly endangered species. Taiwan government has established “The Paphiopedilum and related cultivars horticultural grower identification regulations” in 1999 that growers need to apply documents from government to prove that the orchids are hybrids and propagated under artificial facilities
|
|
 |
|
