Paphiopedilum dianthum

[cxcanh]

It is a quite long time that I can manage to share some of my recent photo.
Paphiopedilum dianthum just blooming.

[catttan]

Very lovely !!!

[Halloamey]

Very beautiful ! Does anyone know why Parishii and Dianthum are considered different species, except for the color of the lateral tepals they look almost the same to me.

[catttan]

Very beautiful ! Does anyone know why Parishii and Dianthum are considered different species, except for the color of the lateral tepals they look almost the same to me.

I'm with you there. Amey. I hope some knowledgeable grower will respond. Last year I saw an almost all green parishii at a friend's and he informed me was the alba form of parishii.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Cool slipper orchid !!

cheers,
BD

[paphioboy]

Very nice pale (nearly alba/albescens) form of dianthum! Parishii and dianthum are distinctive to me... Parishii has a pointier pouch, a differently shaped dorsal, twistier petals and usually many more flowers than dianthum..

[Dorsetman]

I have two dianthum in bud at the moment - I'll post if I am around when they flower ( have just got a date for my next eye op' which I hope is going to restore some sight - that eye is virtually useless now - 28 days to go....)
But going back to the question,are they different or the same thing , I spotted this many years ago and I think I raised it at a British Paph Soc. meeting where I was told that the one was once called the alba form of the other, before it was decided to make them separate species ; also I found that all my dianthums flowered with vertical spikes, and the parishii's with horizontal spikes . Or maybe I have that back to front - its a long time since I have seen flowers for one reason or another. But ( from Dr Cribbs writings ) it does look as though the DNA has been looked at , and they are sufficiently distinct to be separate species. As tou all know, a difference in colour is not enough, but if my different spike habit is normal ( ? comments ? ) that might have been a point of significance.

[mauraec]

I have two dianthum in bud at the moment - I'll post if I am around when they flower ( have just got a date for my next eye op' which I hope is going to restore some sight - that eye is virtually useless now - 28 days to go....)
But going back to the question,are they different or the same thing , I spotted this many years ago and I think I raised it at a British Paph Soc. meeting where I was told that the one was once called the alba form of the other, before it was decided to make them separate species ; also I found that all my dianthums flowered with vertical spikes, and the parishii's with horizontal spikes . Or maybe I have that back to front - its a long time since I have seen flowers for one reason or another. But ( from Dr Cribbs writings ) it does look as though the DNA has been looked at , and they are sufficiently distinct to be separate species. As tou all know, a difference in colour is not enough, but if my different spike habit is normal ( ? comments ? ) that might have been a point of significance.

First of all, Geoff - many good wishes going your way that your eye operation is a success - you need those eyes, if only for your orchids and camerawork! I believe you're right about parishii blooming horizontally - I've seen photos where up to ten blooms march across a spike arched over to full horizontal, with the blooms maintaining a perfectly erect stance. And dianthum does grow erect - in fact, Canh's photo shows that admirably. One other difference (my sources tell me) is that the parishii dorsal is "translucent creamy green" while dianthum's is more green than white - of course, without Mr. Cribb's help, one could mistake a particularly erect alba form of parishii for a dianthum, but there you go.... the analysis has been done.