I have a question about these two groups: are they each officially considered a separate subgenus, or are the Corypetalum considered part of Polyantha? And what are the distinguishing characteristics between the two? :confused:

I always thought the following species belonged to the subgenus Polyantha:

lowii
haynaldianum
richardianum
lynniae
dianthum
parishii

and the following species belonged to Corypetalum:

adductum
philippinense
randsii
stonei
rothschildianum
sanderianum
supardii
gigantifolium
anitum
praestan
wilhelminiae
kolopakingii
platyphyllum

I'm not a taxonomist, so I could very well be wrong. :confused:

Polyantha is not a universally used grouping (but may be gaining in popularity), but I've seen it used for all multis. The group of lowii and parishii types is usually separated out as pardopetalum in the same circles where corypetalum is used to group the other forms (roths, kolo, sanderianum, etc.).

I'm not sure but I think the use of Polyantha predates that of the other two divisions, and may have been started by Guido.

Thanks, Rick! I have also seen Pardopetalum used for lowii type species as well.

Digging out Cribb 1998. Polyantha (Many flower) was started as early as 1894 by Pfitzer, and there were no subsections. Some of the sections we are familier with look like they started in 1896 with Hallier. Polyantha (as a subgenus) seems to disappear with Atwood in 1984 and the multis are under subgenus Paphiopedilum with sections pardopetalum, and coryopedilum. Cribb sticks with this in 1997, but Braem in 1998 goes back to older terms abandoned by Atwood and Cribb, and reboots Subgenus Polyantha, with sections Polyantha (lowii complex), Mystropetalum (parrishii complex), and Mastigopetalums (all other mutlis). :confused: :confused:

Peter
Cribb lists 3 other systems between Hallier 1896 and Atwood 1984

Pfitzer 1903 (first time I see coryopedilum and pardopedilum, but no polyantha at all).

Brieger 1973
Karawawa & Saito 1982

Also many of the earlier systems include the cochlopetalums (sequential bloomers) in polyantha

But none of these early systems blend polyantha and coryopedium as you have them listed.

So it looks like you hybridized some nomenclature systems;) ;)

Thanks for clearing that up Rick! :poke: :poke: :poke:

I guess I should have just stuck to my Cutsie Simple Minded Terms:

Poochy Pouches (Parvis)

Little Round Speckled Cups (brachys)

Pink and Greenies (cochlos)

Single Shiny Stems (paphio)

Single Sometimes Warty Stems (sigma)

Bunches of big flowers (multis)

:p

Seriously though, thanks for the info this is very interesting!

Thanks for clearing that up Rick! :poke: :poke: :poke:

I guess I should have just stuck to my Cutsie Simple Minded Terms:

Poochy Pouches (Parvis)

Little Round Speckled Cups (brachys)

Pink and Greenies (cochlos)

Single Shiny Stems (paphio)

Single Sometimes Warty Stems (sigma)

Bunches of big flowers (multis)

:p

Seriously though, thanks for the info this is very interesting!

:laugh2: So true! Who needs taxonomists?!

Thats pretty much how I do it too Teresa

Except not as CCUUUTTTEEE!!!

Thanks for clearing that up Rick! :poke: :poke: :poke:

I guess I should have just stuck to my Cutsie Simple Minded Terms:

Poochy Pouches (Parvis)

Little Round Speckled Cups (brachys)

Pink and Greenies (cochlos)

Single Shiny Stems (paphio)

Single Sometimes Warty Stems (sigma)

Bunches of big flowers (multis)

:p

Seriously though, thanks for the info this is very interesting!

Hmm...I do believe I'm going to use this method for now until I learn my way around paphs.

Thanks Teresa! :cheers: