Paph. Clair de Lune 'Edgard Van Belle' AM/AOS
One of the oldest types of paphiopedilum hybrids is none other than the ubiquitous green-and-white "albino" Maudiae-type paphs. Certain plants have been in cultivation for the greater part of the 20th century, although three particularly impressive clones have established themselves as the crème de la crème of green-and-white Maudiae-types: Maudiae 'The Queen', Clair de Lune 'Edgard Van Belle', and Alma Gavaert 'Madame Maurice Mertens'. These cultivars are characterized by their ease of growth and their absolutely enormous flowers that can measure up to 6" in natural spread. As a result, each carries an AM/AOS to its credit, and divisions of all three are relatively available today. It has been reported that all three clones are triploids, thereby explaining the massive flowers and the paucity of legitimate offspring.
Paph. Clair de Lune 'Edgard Van Belle' has the species curtisii in its background, and can therefore be distinguished from the other two clones by the warts on the faces of the wide petal blades, and the slightly downswept petal carriage.
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