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Paphiopedilum purpuratum (Lindley) Stein

• Described: Lindley in Edward's Botanical Register, 23: t. 1991 (1837)
• Transferred: Stein in Stein's Orchideenbuch, 481 (1892)
• Etymology: Named for the color of the bloom.
• Varieties & Forms: none
• Synonyms:
  Paphiopedilum aestivum Liu & Zhang in Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica, 39(6): 568, fig. 1 (2001)
  Cypripedium sinicum Hance ex Reichenbach fil. in Walpers, Annales botanices systematicae, 3: 602 (1853)
• Chromosome Count -

  2n =	metacentrics	telocentrics	n.f.
  40	12	28	52

Plant Habit

• Leaves: 3-8, 7-17 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, above mottled pale and dark green, below pale green, basal margins ciliate
• Inflorescence: 1-flowered, 12-20 cm long, purple, pubescent
• Bloom: 7-10 cm wide
• Plant: almost always single-growth in nature
  

Habitat Data

• Distribution -
  
• Elevation: 500-1400 m
• Peak Flowering in the Wild: September-October
• Mean Temperature Range: 11-22°C
• Water (D-drier, M-moderate, W-wetter) -

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  D

• Reported From Averyanov et al. (2003) in Vietnam
• Ecology: steep limestone slopes
• Light: light-moderate shade
• Medium: calcareous, humus, leaf litter
• Reported From Tzi ZhanHuo et al. (1999) in China on Lantau Island
• Ecology: rocky forest floor "relatively free of other herbs"
• Light: deep shade
• Medium: humus, leaf litter, pH 4.3-4.9

Notes:

• Paph. purpuratum fma. aphaca was described based on a plant that lacked petal warts and had a split synsepal.  Until more information becomes available, formal recognition would be dubious at best.

Sources:

• Averyanov, L. et al. Slipper Orchids of Vietnam. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2003.
• Braem, Guido J., and Guy Chiron. Paphiopedilum. Saint-Genis Laval, France: Tropicalia, 2003.
• Cribb, Phillip J. The Genus Paphiopedilum. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: Natural History Publications in association with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1998.
• Gruss, O. "Albino Forms of the Slipper Orchids." Orchid Digest 69, no. 4 (Oct/Dec 2005): 204-29.
• Hooker, W.J. "Cypripedium purpuratum. Purple-Stained Lady's Slipper." Curtis's Botanical Magazine 82 (1856): Tab. 4901. <view article>
• Karasawa, K. "Karyomorphological Studies in Paphiopedilum, Orchidaceae." Bulletin of the Hiroshima Botanical Garden 2 (Mar 1979): 1979.
• Lindley, J. "Cypripedium purpuratum." Botanical Register 23 (1837): Plate 1991. <view article>
• Mark, F. "A Note of Discovery, Paphiopedilum purpuratum forma aphaca 'Mark'." Orchid Digest 46, no. 6 (Nov/Dec 1982): 235-36.
• Tsi ZhanHuo et al. "A Preliminary Report on the Population Size, Ecology, and Conservation Status of Some Paphiopedilum Species (Orchidaceae) in Southwest China." Lindleyana 14, no. 1 (1999): 12-23.

Primary Hybrids

Paph. purpuratum x	Hybrid
delenatii	Neil's Diamond
concolor	Rebecca Tyson Northen
niveum	Enzan Purple
barbigerum	Barbi Girl
charlesworthii	Faunus
fairrieanum	H. Ballantine
gratrixianum	China Breeze
insigne	Regale
spicerianum	Maynardii
villosum	Concinnum
argus	Batalinii
barbatum	Barbato-Purpuratum
bullenianum	Remus
callosum	Cosmopolitan
curtisii	Oakesianum(1899), Purpurato-curtisi(1899)
hookerae	Gemmiferum
lawrenceanum	Tashmoo
sukhakulii	Cotice
superbiens	Dacia
venustum	Symondsiae
wardii	Dale Edward Lawless
haynaldianum	Hitchiti
lowii	Tamanend
philippinense	Philo
stonei	Edith Winn
glaucophyllum	Pigmy

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Page Created By: Stephen Manza
Last Updated: 10-23-06
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