Paphiopedilum insigne

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Paphiopedilum insigne
Paphiopedilum insigne Orchi 01.jpg
Flower of Paphiopedilum insigne
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Cypripedioideae
Genus: Paphiopedilum
Species:
P. insigne
Binomial name
Paphiopedilum insigne
Synonyms

Paphiopedilum insigne is an Asian species of slipper orchid and the type species of the genus Paphiopedilum . Its name is derived from the Latin insigne, meaning 'badge of honor' due to the magnificent flower. In the 19th century it was very popular among European and American orchid growers, causing it to become very rare in the wild due to over collecting. There are many varieties of it and hybrids with it.

Contents

Description

Terrestrial herb. Leaves 5–6, up to 32 cm long, 2.5–3 cm wide, leathery, ligulate, blade light green, underside purple spotted at base. Scape, erect, up to 25 cm long, terminating in a solitary flower, green, shortly purple-pubescent; elliptic or oblong-elliptic bract, obtuse, up to 5 cm long, glabrous, purple spotted at base. Flowers 7–12 cm wide; variable in colour; dorsal sepal with white apical portion with raised purple spots on inner margin, base pale green with brown spots; petals linear-oblong, margin wavy, glabrous, yellow-brown. Lip helmet shaped, yellow or yellowish-green with purple-brown shade, staminode yellow. Fl. & Fr. : October–December.

Distribution

This species is native to the Khasi hills in the Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya, and the adjoining Sylhet region of Bangladesh. It is also reported from northwest Yunnan in China. It was originally described based a specimen from Sylhet, but because there have been no further reports of this species from this region, it could be extinct there due to over collection and habitat destruction. Reports from Thailand and Myanmar are uncertain or erroneous and if ever present there this species is likely extinct there. [1]

Habitat

It grows in humus and debris in crevices and among grasses and shrubs on steep open dolomitic limestone rock slopes and cliffs above streams, rivers and waterfalls at an altitude of 1000–1600 meters. Unique pictures of the plant in its natural habitat can be viewed here.

Paph insigne, varieties sanderae & mooreana.jpg
Paphiopedilum insigne var. montanum.jpg

Varieties

Many varieties are given in 19th and early 20th century literature, but not all were formally described and most are synonyms. [2] The type variety is mooreana, which is shown in the photo together with variety sanderae, the semi-alba color form. The painting shows the diverse forms of the variety montanum, which isn't really a variety but rather a product name that 19th century European importers used to describe a series of varieties and forms with narrower leaves and richly marked flowers that were harvested from a different mountain region than the ones imported before. Nathaniel Wallich sent the first living insigne plants to the UK from the Sylhet region. Later William Griffith discovered it in the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya. [3] [4] [5] [6] The variety sanderae came out of an importation of montanum by Frederick Sander. It was sold in 1890 at £250, the equivalent of about £35,000 in 2021. [7]

Conservation status

Due to ruthless collection for international trade in the 19th and 20th century, current poaching for regional trade, and destruction of its habitat, the species has become very rare. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Paphiopedilum</i> Genus of orchids

Paphiopedilum, often called the Venus slipper, is a genus of the lady slipper orchid subfamily Cypripedioideae of the flowering plant family Orchidaceae. The genus comprises some 80 accepted taxa including several natural hybrids. The genus is native to Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, southern China, New Guinea and the Solomon and Bismarck Islands. The type species of this genus is Paphiopedilum insigne.

<i>Phragmipedium</i> Genus of orchids

Phragmipedium is a genus of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae) and the only genus comprised in the tribe Phragmipedieae and subtribe Phragmipediinae. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek phragma, which means "division", and pedium, which means "slipper". It is abbreviated 'Phrag' in trade journals.

<i>Phragmipedium kovachii</i> Species of plant

Phragmipedium kovachii is an orchid species found to be new to science in 2001, native to the Andean cloud forests of northern Peru. A species with terrestrial habit and growing in clumps of several individuals, it displays showy pink to purple flowers up to 20 cm (8 in) wide. It is currently considered a critically endangered species by the IUCN, due to overcollection in the wild.

<i>Himantoglossum hircinum</i> Species of orchid

Himantoglossum hircinum, the lizard orchid, is a species of orchid in the genus Himantoglossum found in Europe and North Africa.

<i>Cypripedium fasciculatum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium fasciculatum, the clustered lady's slipper, is a member of the orchid genus Cypripedium. Members of this genus are commonly referred to as ladies' slippers. C. fasciculatum, along with C. montanum and C. californicum, are the only members of the genus Cypripedium that are endemic to western North America.

<i>Paphiopedilum armeniacum</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum armeniacum is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is known commonly as the apricot orange paphiopedilum and golden slipper orchid. It is endemic to China, where it occurs only in Yunnan. It is also cultivated and has won prestigious awards at flower shows.

Paphiopedilum ooii is a species of slipper orchid native to Mount Kinabalu on Borneo. It is named after Michael Ooi, a slipper orchid enthusiast from Malaysia. The plant blooms in the spring to early summer with a spike that can reach up to 2 meters and produce up to 17 flowers.

<i>Paphiopedilum rothschildianum</i> Rothschilds slipper orchid

Paphiopedilum rothschildianum, commonly known as the Gold of Kinabalu orchid or Rothschild's slipper orchid, is a large, clear-leafed species of orchid. It blooms with a tall inflorescence of up to six large flowers. It is unique to the Corypetalum group for holding its petals almost horizontally, giving the flower a distinctive appearance. The peak flowering period of this plant is from April to May.

<i>Paphiopedilum glaucophyllum</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum glaucophyllum, common name shiny green leaf paphiopedilum or tropical lady's-slipper, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Paphiopedilum of the family Orchidaceae.

<i>Paphiopedilum barbigerum</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum barbigerum is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae known commonly as the beard carrying paphiopedilum. It is native to China, Vietnam, and Thailand. It is an endangered species due to habitat destruction and overcollection for the horticultural trade.

<i>Paphiopedilum ciliolare</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum ciliolare is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is known commonly as the short haired paphiopedilum. It is endemic to the Philippines.

<i>Paphiopedilum dianthum</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum dianthum is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to China, Laos, and Vietnam. It is known commonly as the double flowered paphiopedilum.

<i>Paphiopedilum fowliei</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum fowliei is a species of plant in the family Orchidaceae. It is endemic to Palawan in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Cypripedium parviflorum</i> Species of orchid

Cypripedium parviflorum, commonly known as yellow lady's slipper or moccasin flower, is a lady's slipper orchid native to North America. It is widespread, ranging from Alaska south to Arizona and Georgia. It grows in fens, wetlands, shorelines, and damp woodlands.

<i>Paphiopedilum bellatulum</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum bellatulum, commonly known as the egg-in-a-nest orchid, is a species of orchid found from southeastern Yunnan, Guizhou and southern Guangxi of China to Indochina. It is also found in Myanmar and Thailand at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,800 meters. The leaves are a dark green with white spots on top, but the underside is purple. The flower is round, about 6–8 cm in diameter.

<i>Paphiopedilum druryi</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum druryi is a species of orchid endemic to the Agastyamalai Hills of southern India. It is the only southern Indian orchid species in the genus. Rediscovered in 1972 after its original description in 1870, wild populations were decimated by commercial collectors and it is one of the few plants that are listed as threatened by the Indian government and included in CITES and the IUCN Redlist.

<i>Paphiopedilum sukhakulii</i> Species of orchid

Paphiopedilum sukhakulii is a species of plant in the family Orchidaceae.

<i>Ericksonella saccharata</i> Species of orchid endemic to Western Australlia

Ericksonella saccharata, commonly known as sugar orchid, is the only species in the genus Ericksonella in the orchid family, Orchidaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single leaf and a single flower with three white sepals and two similar petals.

<i>Orchis pallens</i> Species of plant

Orchis pallens, the pale orchid or pale-flowered orchid, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Orchis of the family Orchidaceae. It is found in most of Europe ranging from Spain across to the Caucasus. It blooms in spring with pale yellow flowers.

<i>Paphiopedilum parishii</i> Parishs Paphiopedilum

Paphiopedilum parishii is a species of orchid found in northern and western Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Yunnan and Assam, in montane forests at 1200–2200 m above sea level. It is named after Charles Samuel Pollock Parish, an English botanist and avid plant collector who had a particular interest in the flora of Myanmar.

References

  1. Paphiopedilum insigne, Splendid Paphiopedilum”, Assessment by: Rankou, H. & Kumar, P. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. ISSN 2307-8235. Accessed on 23.12.2021.
  2. How many Paphiopedilum insigne do we have in Western Australia?, by Burnett, T. at Waorchids.
  3. Curtis's botanical magazine by William Curtis et al, London, v.62=ser.2:v.9, 1835, plate 3412 & text
  4. A manual of orchidaceous plants cultivated under glass in Great Britain, by James Veitch & Sons, London, 1887-94, Vol. 3-4, p. 33.
  5. Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, H.M. Stationery Office, 1895, p. 39
  6. How many Paphiopedilum insigne do we have in Western Australia?, by Burnett, T. at Waorchids.
  7. The Orchid Review, Volume 2, Orchid Review Limited, 1894, p. 41
  8. Paphiopedilum insigne, Splendid Paphiopedilum”, Assessment by: Rankou, H. & Kumar, P. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. ISSN 2307-8235. Accessed on 23.12.2021.

“Paphiopedilum insigne”, Plants of the World Online, Kew. Accessed on 23.12.2021.

“Paphiopedilum insigne”, Slipperorchids.info. Accessed on 23.12.2021.

“Paphiopedilum insigne”, ENVIS Resource Partner on Biodiversity, Botanical Survey of India. Accessed on 23.12.2021.

“Paphiopedilum insigne”, Flora of China. Accessed on 23.12.2021.