This week I would like to present Paphiopedilum Hung Sheng Thaianum (Paph. thaianum x Paph. bellatulum).

Paphiopedilum Hung Sheng Thaianum was registered by Hung Sheng Orchids in 2012. Paph. thaianum relatively new species, accepted by WCSP (Kew) in 2006. It's native to Thailand.

Previous Awards:

There is no awards for this cross.

There are 5 AOS awards for Paph. thaianum.

There are huge number of awards for Paph. bellatulum - 288 awards total, including alba color forms and awards in Taiwan, Japan and Australia.

Description:

The candidate has 1 flower on one unstaked inflorescence, inflorescence length (including ovary) - 6 cm.

The plant has 3 growths, leaf are 10 cm x 3.5 cm. It grows in a 5.25 cm plastic pot.

Substance: medium.

Texture: waxy.

Flower Measurements:

NS H - 6.5 cm; NS V - 6.8 cm;

Dorsal Sep. W - 5.0 cm; Dorsal Sep. L - 3.0 cm;

Petal W - 4.0 cm; Petals L - 4.5 cm;

Lat/Synsepal W - 2.5 cm; Lat/Synsepal L - 2.5 cm;

Lip/Pouch W - 2.0 cm; Lip/Pouch L - 2.8 cm.

Judges' Comments

Dave Sorokowsky (Accredited Judge, California Sierra Nevada Judging Center)

Since there are no awards to Paph. Hung Sheng Thaianum, I used Paph. Psyche (niveum x bellatulum) as a comparison. This sort of parallel breeding gives a good example of what to expect from this hybrid.

This plant has typical color for this type of breeding. The petals have uneven undulations and notching, and the dorsal sepal has a severe reflex on the left side. I would not score this plant on this bloom.

Dave

Al Messina (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

One erect unremarkable flower presenting just above the foliage of a well grown plant; sepal and petal margins subtly undulate, with suggestion of micro serration.

Linear punctate markings add some interest. With five AOS awards to one parent, Paph. thaianum, and a multitude of awards to the other parent, Paph. bellatulum, the bar is quite high for an AOS flower award. This candidate does not meet (nor exceed) that bar: It is not as good as its parents and is in possession of no quality which would, in my opinion, advance its cause in doing so. Perhaps on another bloom.

Kristen Mason (Accredited Judge, Cincinnati Judging Center)

I love the clear white with nice clear stippling and markings. The staminode is beautifully shaped and colored. The long hairs on the staminode and the base of the petals add nice interest. I also like the fine hairs on the edge of the sepals and petals and the nice light, even ruffling. Size favores the bellatulum and is above the geometric mean. Very full wide segments. Overall, nice balance to the flower. There is some cupping and central ridge to the dorsal, but not unexpected for the parentage. I do not like the small horns on the sides of the dorsal or the shape at the ends of the petals (although thaianum tends to also have this petal issue - there are several thaianum that do not). There are several critters hanging out the flower. While the flower has nice potential, I would pass on this flowering.

Deb Boersma (Student Judge, Great Lakes Judging Center)

Paphiopedilum Hung Sheng Thaianum

A nice round, full flower with a very nice shaped pouch. The petals slightly swept downward as in the bellatulum parent, sepal and petals are very wide but somewhat cupped. I like that the pouch is shorter and wider than the long narrow pouches of the bellatulum parent, the roundness influenced by the thaianum parent. Nice stippling of burgundy on the petals and sepal, on the interior of the pouch and on the staminode. The geometric mean of the natural spread for the two parents is 5.8 cm and this candidate has a natural spread of 6.5 by 6.8cm, it is larger than the geometric mean of parents. Over all a charming flower however a have a few concerns. The sepal looks as though it has a ink bleed pattern of very light burgundy on either side of the light burgundy blotch on center of the dorsal. I’m not sure that this is a colour break or not, the flower is a little more cupped when compared to some of the awarded parents and there seems to be several bugs, perhaps aphids on the flower petal.

I would not nominate this plant for a cultural award.

Thanks

Deborah Bodei (Associate Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Paphiopedilum Hung Sheng Thaianum (Paph. thaianum x Paph. bellatulum)

Observations

At first glance this interesting cross shows potential improvement on the parents. The bellatulum brought some size to the hybrid, and the thaianum gives the normally droopy looking petals of the bellatulum a perkier look with fine spotting lightening it up. The purple markings are beautiful and very symmetrical. The fine purple spotting we normally see in thaianum, is increased and in a lovely pattern on this hybrid. It has a pretty staminode that almost has a heart like appearance. The spotting inside the pouch is typical of bellatulum but the spotting is much finer and lightens up that segment as well.

There are issues though. The dorsal is cupped which is common for these species but staking could have helped with presentation, especially since the plant looks like it is leaning over to one side as well. Aside from the flower being tilted there is some skewing (asymmetry) of the pouch. The dorsal sepal and the petals are reflexed. The frayed petal margins are surprising to me as something we might see more often on a delenatii (unless the parent of this bellatulum is an alba). The description of the substance says medium, when the both parents are usually firm or hard which also surprised me. The texture states waxy, but the frayed edged petals and the reflexed dorsal and petals don’t support that unless the flower is aged. The reflexing on the dorsal sepal basally is quite pronounced.

The size of the flower and its segments is somewhere in between the two parents which is not unexpected. The stem is very short like the bellatulum parent and certainly did not gain any length from thaianum.

We needed to see more angles such as the side and back of the flower. The photos are all from a similar angle. A close up photo or two would also have been helpful.

Nominations

I would not nominate on this flowering, but would like to see it on our judging table again. I do think this hybrid has potential with a lot of nice qualities, but it just may not have reached maturity yet (very young plant with only three leaves). It just didn’t add up to enough points to be awardable for me this time with the issues raised.

Thanks,

Deb

Bob Winkley (Accredited Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Thank you for sending this candidate along. So many great things going on here. The flower is full and beautifully proportionate between the petals and dorsal sepal; the slight ruffling of the petals is even and graceful. The inflorescence, while a bit short, is erect and self-supporting which I have to think was contributed by Paph. thaianum. Base color is even with little to no areas of translucency which can be the bane of white paphs, and the stippling is clear and well distributed.

When looking at this flower, I am reminded of two other great Brachypetalum primary crosses - Paph. Greyi (godefroyae x niveum) and Paph. Psyche (bellatulum x niveum). Looking at those award records this flower compares favorably in terms of shape and coloration. The other crosses are larger on the whole, but that would be expected given the much smaller sized Paph. thaianum (as opposed to Paph. niveum).

If I were scoring this flower, there are a few items that I would take into consideration. First, the dorsal is a bit more hooded than I would like and the basal margins are quite reflexed. In addition, the dorsal seems to cant a bit to one side, based on the slight tilt to the mid-rib. Finally, the notching at the apex of the petals, while not uncommon in these flowers, is bit deep and detracts from the lovely round margins of those segments.

One question for the grower - are the green specks on the one petal seeds from another plant in the area? Zooming in on the flower they appear to be aphids and that would be very problematic on the judging table.

I do think this flower has award potential and would likely nominate it were I able to discern there weren't any critters present. I would be inclined towards an HCC of 78 points.

All the best -

Bob W.

Sergey Skoropad (Associate Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Paphiopedilum Hung Sheng Thaianum.

Very lovely Paph.

Actually, I like it!

We have an interesting situation here because no awards for this cross, although many crosses were created with Paph. thaianum and many been awarded.

Because no awards for Paphiopedilum Hung Sheng Thaianum first thing is to check and compare to Paph. Greyi (goldefroyae x niveum) or Paph. Psyche (bellatulum x niveum).

Flower of our candidate looks little different from crosses with Paph. niveum. Flower is a little more cupped and more colored with red spots (came from bellatulum). I find this very pleasant.

Size of the flower could be placed exactly between two Paph. species.

Having unstaked inflorescence has some pluses and minuses; it takes strong inflorescence from thaianum but I think staking this inflorescence properly would give a better presentation of the flower.

Cupping of the flower is not a problem for me because I’m expecting this from Paph. bellatulum.

I think flower is awardable and I would nominate this flower when I see it in person (and I hope no critters will be at the flower).

I believe this flower should be in mid HCC.

I think this cross is not easy to grow and bloom and maybe that’s why no awards granted for this cross yet!

Hope to see it in person in next bloom.

Thanks

Sergey

Exhibitor - Carrie Buchman, NJ (Associate Judge, Northeast Judging Center)

Grower's Advice

I fell in love with Paph. thaianum when I did a judging presentation on miniature Paphs. I’ve killed many of this warm growing species from Thailand. So, I tried a couple of the hybrids hoping for more temperature tolerance, including this Paph. Hung Sheng Thaianum.

They grow in a shady corner of my sunroom with my Phalaenopsis. In addition to some natural light, I have auxiliary lights on for 12 hours a day. Most importantly, in the cold winter months, they are on seedling mats that are on 24/7. Relative humidity is about 60% unless the heat is on continually when it can get as low as 40%. The humidifier is placed so that the mist is circulated over the Phal/Paph bench. Fans run 24/7 too. They are watered twice a week, but I watch carefully and will water them if they start to get dry. I really think that it is the seedling mats that did the trick.