Perhaps you have heard that a new paphiopedilum was discovered in North Vietnam. This is not the Paphiopedillum canhii, but a different one.

On June 9^th, Mr Vy van Le from Sapa sent an email with 3 pictures to the Vietnamese Orchid Society in Orange County, California, USA (VNOS) website: http://wwwhoalanvietnam.org, asking for identification. Pictures were sent to Olaf Gruss and Leonid Averyanov for evaluation.


Just glancing at the pictures, the flower of this species has a trait ressemblign that of the Paphiopedillum philipinense which previously had been considered endemic to the Philippines but founded later in Sabah, Borneo.

Pap. philippinense Photo: www.monbebelull.com

Pap. philippinense Photo: www.bergoiata.org

But the leaves of 2 species are totally different. The one from Vy Le are short and tesselled, while the others are longer and glossy green.

While looking at the large staminode, some people think it is a natural hybrid between Pap. canhii x Pap purpuratum, since both of them having the same kind of tesseled leaves and were both grown in North Vietnam.

Pap canhii Photo: Chu xuan Canh

Pap. Vy Le Photo: Vy Le

Pap. purpuratum Photo: Victor Brown

There is also a rumor that the new paphiopedilum is only a false product created by a dishonest merchant who wanted to make money from the novice collectors. We understand that the Professor of Botany, Loc Ke Phan at Hanoi National University is trying to get more information of the specimen and leaf sample for further study since the flowering season is over. This might be a new species, natural, or a man made hybrid. We have wait to hear from the world reknown orchidists.