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Paphiopedilum
Also called Asian Slipper Orchids, Paphs, Venus Slippers, รองเท้านารี
Paphiopedilum, the Venus slipper, is a genus of about 80 orchid species and many hybrids, mostly from Southeast and South Asia, grown for their pouch-shaped flowers. Most need shade, humid conditions and a loose, airy mix that never dries out completely.
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.
The species and their hybrids are extensively cultivated, and are known as either paphiopedilums, or by the abbreviation paphs in horticulture.
The paphiopedilums are among the most widely cultivated and hybridized of orchid genera. New species are still being discovered; for example the golden slipper orchid (P. armeniacum) was discovered in 1979 and described in 1982, and is known for its striking gold-colored flowers. In addition, growers have bred thousands of interspecific hybrids and registered them with the Royal Horticultural Society in London over the years.
Paphiopedilums are terrestrial and evergreen in growth habit, and by careful selection of species and hybrids, it is possible to have a flowering period extending over nine months of the year. They can be grown indoors, as long as conditions that mimic their natural habitats are created. Most species thrive in moderate to high humidity (50–70%), moderate temperatures ranging from 13 to 35 degrees Celsius and low light of 12,000 to 20,000 lux. Modern hybrids are typically easier to grow in artificial conditions than their parent species.
Paphiopedilum adductum · Beard carrying Paphiopedilum · Paphiopedilum subg. Megastaminodium · Short haired Paphiopedilum · Double flowered Paphiopedilum · Fowlie's Paphiopedilum · Rothshild's slipper orchid · Urban's Paphiopedilum
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Paphiopedilum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
