Here is a couple of photos of plants I have recently purchased. One is Paph roebellinii. I can't believe the size of this plant. As a gauge, behind the plant to it right is a mature Susan Booth. I would never have thought this species would be so big. I assume it is the correct plant as it is a division I got from a reputable nursery. It supposedly has 7-8 flowers on a spike.

The second photo is of a plant that was sold to me as a Paph praestans. On the label it actually had Paph wilhiminiae while another person told me the fact that it has so much red in the leaves suggests it is Paph bodegomii. Anyone got any thoughts.

David


Paph roebellinii

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/emydura/roebellinii.jpg


Paph praestans / wihlminae /bodegomae

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/emydura/Paphpraestans.jpg

Very healthy looking plants you got there!

My division of praestans gets that redness just before it spikes, so you may have good news coming. My piece is from a friends awarded plant, for a picture look up the AQ for 'Jean Cox' AM/AOS...it was required to be identified before an award would be granted...so I KNOW it's praestans! I hope yours is "blushing" for the same reason mine is now...I will post pics of it when the flowers open.
Jon

Thanks Jon. Look forward to seeing a photo of yours in flower.

This plant was sold to me as the red-leafed form of praestans. The red in the leaves is permanent rather than something that occurs just before flowering. The newer leaves seem to get redder and redder. There is a new leaf coming up which is almost totally red.

David

Gotcha, I have never seen a red leaved form...I'm guessing it's going to have some really dark flowers if it is like the maudiae types. My bodegomii, gardneri, and wilhelminae all came from R.J. Rands years ago and they don't have that coloration to them...but they are not necessarily what the tag says either.
Anyway, that's one cool praestans you have there...now I've got to go find one. I will post a pic sometime this week of my plant that is currently in spike so you can see what I mean by how it is "blushing".
Jon

The red leaf form has the normal coloration on the flowers, not darker or lighter.

This variety originates from Papua island.

Thanks Steve

Does that mean it is praestans, bodegomii or wilhiminiae? This whole group is confusing me.

David

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/jonbar1/DSC04666.jpg

Here's that photo I promised showing how my praestans "blushes" when it is starting to go into spike. It started blushing about a month before the spike was noticeable down inside the leaves.
Jon