Volume 12 > Part 1 > Year 2011 > Page 198 > Orchidaceae > Paphiopedilum

1. Paphiopedilum appletonianum (Gower) Rolfe

Orchid Rev. 4: 364. 1896; Pfitzer in Engler, Pflanzenr. IV, 50, Orchid. Pleonandreae: 79. 1903; Seidenf. & Smitinand, Orchids Thail.: 13. 1959: Seidenf., Bot. Tidsskr. 67: 89, fig. 11. 1972; Birk, Paphiopedilum Grow. Man.: 59. 1983; Seidenf., Opera Bot. 114: 19. 1992; P.J.Cribb, Gen. Paphiopedilum, ed. 2: 280, fig. 84–85, t. 49. 1998; Aver. et al., Slipper Orchids Vietnam: 218. fig. 172–181. 2003; Z.J.Liu et al. in Z.Y. Wu et al. (eds), Fl. China 25: 43. 2009.— Cypripedium appletonianum Gower, Garden 1893: 95. 1893.— Cordula appletoniana (Gower) Rolfe, Orchid Rev. 20: 2. 1912. Fig. 115; Plate XIV: 4.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Synonyms & Citations :

Description : A terrestrial herb. Leaves 5–8, narrowly elliptic to oblong-elliptic, subacute to obtuse at tridenticulate apex, 7–25 cm long, 2–4 cm wide, sparsely ciliate at base, obscurely tessellated pale and darker green, more or less purple-marked at base on lower side. Inflorescence erect, 1-flowered (rarely 2-flowered): peduncle 17–48 cm long, purple, shortly pubescent; bract lanceolate, acute, 1.5–2.1 cm long, green, ciliate. Flower 6–10 cm across; sepals whitish-green or pale green, longitudinally veined with green; dorsal sepal faintly purple-tinged towards base; petals green below with darker green and brown stripes and maroon-black spots in basal half, purple above; labellum ochre to pale purple with darker veins and a yellowish or greenish margin; pedicel and ovary 3–6 cm long, pubescent. Dorsal sepal ovate, cordate at base, apiculate above, 2.7–4.5 cm long, 2–3.2 cm wide, with recurved basal margins. Synsepal elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, 2–3 cm long, 1.1–1.5 cm wide. Petals spathulate, acute or tridenticulate at apex, 4.4–5.8 cm long, 1.2–1.8 cm wide, half-twisted in apical half, with marginal warts in basal part of upper margin. Labellum 3.6–4.6 cm long; front margin obliquely bluntly dentate. Staminode transversely elliptic, tridentate at apex, 7–9 mm long, 8–9 mm wide; lateral teeth falcate, divergent, longer than middle tooth.

Thailand : SOUTH-EASTERN: Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat.

Distribution : China (Hainan), Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia; 600–700 m alt. Type prepared from a cultivated plant of unknown provenance.

Ecology : In shade on floor of primary forests, often by streams. Flowering: December until March.

Vernacular : Khang kop kho daeng (คางกบคอแดง), rongthao nari khang kop kho daeng (รองเท้านารีคางกบคอแดง).

Notes: The variation in staminode shape that has led to the description of several species is discussed in Averyanov et al. (2003: 218–229).

The natural hybrid Paphiopedilum x siamense Rolfe is intermediate morphologically between its putative parents P. appletonianum (Gower) Rolfe and P. callosum (Rchb.f.) Stein and was recorded from commercial importations of the parent species from Thailand (Rolfe, 1896: 366).