paph armeniacum what to do with it?

Hey
I have a beautiful paph armeniacum that just recently bloomed for Christmas. The plant is actually is about to die, a single growth that came in bud with its only two leaves that are starting to yellow. I should have cut off the bloom, but I wanted to display the plant for the holidays... It was a beautiful large golden bloom and I wish I had pictures. I doubt I can save the plant now but I can save its genes.

Anyways I put the two pollen masses attached together with part of the staminode, and put it in a plastic bag in the fridge. I want to make a hybrid using its pollen now. I have some questions:
What is the proper way of storing pollen? And what do you think I should cross it with? Has a maudiae type plant been crossed with paph armeniacum yet? I don't want to waste the pollen for infertile seeds. I'm a newbie with breeding

__________________
Fren
Orchidacea are the largest and most diverse of the Angiospermae, and includes 800 genera and 30 000 species

As for genetics, you're safe. It's been crossed with every section of Paph successully. As for crossing Paphs, I haven't done it, but I understand they're fussy. So go for your mate of choice, but whether or not the pod takes, and whether or not seeds are viable when you flask them, are big milestones with Paphs.

PM me your e-mail address and I'll send you a home flasking guide that has excellent advice for storing pollen.

Keep us posted!

McJulie

Hi there.

You can store pollen for a year or more in the fridge. However you need to store it properly.

The best way to do so is to take a piece of wax paper and fold it up. Then you want to remove the pollen from the pollen cap. This is not so easy to do. Especially if you are clumsy like me. It's important when you do so that you do not pierce the pollen cap. You don't want any of the water in the tissue to leach into the pollen.

Once you have removed the pollen from the pollen cap, fold the wax paper up and tape it all around and label (I often forget to do this)!!!! Then stick in the fridge.

When you are ready to pollinate. Remove it and scrape the pollen off the wax paper and then smear onto the staminode.

Parvi. pollen, esp. micranthum and armeniacum is not very sticky so it makes it more difficult to get it to stay.

Hope this helps.
L

thanks! definitely i don't want staminode juices in the pollen.

I'm thinking about crossing it with either a alba Paph Maudiae type, Paph Vanda M. Pearman, Paph Magic Lantern or Paph micranthum.

My alba Paph Maudiae type is in high bud and soon to bloom, but the others I'll have to wait. What would a Maudiae x armeniacum look like? It would be really cool to have a yellow maudiae, but I'm unsure if its possible.

__________________
Fren
Orchidacea are the largest and most diverse of the Angiospermae, and includes 800 genera and 30 000 species

Not staminode juice. When you remove the pollen from the flower, you will see the two pollen clumps are attached to a cap. That's what I meant.

I am not sure of the results of a Maudiae x armeniacum. However, this line of breeding is not often done because the results I imagine are not ideal. Maudiae breeding with parvis will often yield deformed flowers. The same with Maudiae with brachys.

I definitely don't want deformed plants thanks no wonder I never see this cross.

I'll have to examine the pollen carefully tomorrow. I sort of just took off the staminode and put it in the fridge. My Paph magic lantern will probably be the next to bloom but it will be a first bloomer.

__________________
Fren
Orchidacea are the largest and most diverse of the Angiospermae, and includes 800 genera and 30 000 species

Hi Fren,

Remember that the pod parent will be a much stronger determinant in the seedlings' characterisitics. You might not get much yellow, if armeniacum is the pollen parent.

McJulie

I will keep that in mind, thanks.

I think if I cross it with Paph Magic Lantern or Paph micranthum the yellows will be supressed quite a bit...I'll get pale peaches or light yellows
If I crossed it with my Vanda M. Pearman (using bellatulum 'alba') I would get wider petals and hopefully something yellow. My Vanada M. Pearman's first bloom wasn't as large as the other ones I've seen though.

hmmm What if I cross it with a insigne or Paph Midori x Lemon Tree (complex green) ....? I haven't seen the blooms of either plants yet but they are large multigrowth ones that will hopefully bloom soon.

__________________
Fren
Orchidacea are the largest and most diverse of the Angiospermae, and includes 800 genera and 30 000 species

This all sounds very interesting! Be sure to post pics - I love a good photo journey

Christian

The pollen situation has already been discussed, but how about saving that plant of yours? If you can post a picture, I am sure we can help you (P. armeniacum is really just a weed )...

This species is very stolonous, and will make mature growths even if the plant is "dead" looking (with no leaves)... it's really a weedy species...

-Pat