Volume 12 > Part 1 > Year 2011 > Page 210 > Orchidaceae > Paphiopedilum

9. Paphiopedilum niveum (Rchb.f.) Stein

Orchid.-Buch: 478. 1892; Pfitzer, Bot. Jarhb. Syst. 19: 40. 1894; in Engler, Pflanzenr. IV, 50, Orchid. Pleonandreae: 58. 1903; Seidenf. & Smitinand, Orchids Thail.: 10, fig. 4. 1959; Seidenf., Bot. Tidsskr. 67: 78, fig. 1. 1972; Fowlie, Orchid Digest 37: 231. 1973; P.J.Cribb, Gen. Paphiopedilum, ed. 2: 120, fig. 29, t. 11. 1998.— Cypripedium niveum Rchb.f., Gard. Chron. 1869: 1038. 1869; Hook.f., Bot. Mag. 97: t. 5922. 1871; Fl. Brit. India 6: 171. 1890.— Cordula nivea (Rchb.f.) Rolfe, Orchid Rev. 20: 2. 1912. Fig. 123; Plate XV: 5.

Accepted Name : This is currently accepted.

Description : Terrestrial herb, often of clustered growth. Leaves 4–5, strap-shaped to narrowly elliptic, rounded and minutely emarginate at apex, 8–19 cm long, 2.4–3.6 cm wide, mottled very dark and pale green above, heavily dotted purple below, ciliate at the base. Inflorescence 1- or 2-flowered, 6–25 cm long; peduncle up to 20 cm long, purple, shortly but densely white pubescent; bracts conduplicate, broadly ovate, obtuse. 1.1–1.4 cm long, 1–1.2 cm wide, white to pale green, spotted purple. Flowers white, often highly dotted purple towards base of segments and on front of labellum, with a yellow centre to the staminode. 6–8 cm diameter, pubescent on outside and at base of petals within, ovary 4.5 cm long, green flushed with dark purple, densely shortly pubescent. Dorsal sepal very broadly ovate, obtuse to emarginate, 2.7–4.2 cm long, 3–5 cm wide. Synsepal concave, ovate, obtuse, 2–3 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide. Petals elliptic, rounded, 3.3–4.3 cm long. 2.2–3.9 cm wide, shortly ciliate on margins. Labellum rather small, ovoid to ellipsoidal, with incurved margins, 2.2–3.6 cm long, 1.5–1.8 cm wide. Staminode broader than long, transversely subelliptic, one-to three-toothed at apex, 6–9 mm long, 10–12 mm wide.

Thailand : PENINSULAR: Trang, Satun.

Distribution : N Peninsular Malaysia; sea-level to 200 m alt. Type prepared from a cultivated plant of unknown provenance.

Ecology : In shade on limestone. Flowering: March–July.

Vernacular : Rongthao nari khao satun (รองเท้านารีขาวสตูล), rongthao nari dok khao (รองเท้านารีดอกขาว).