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fact or fiction? |
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fact or fiction? |
| First introduced to the west more than a hundred
and fifteen years ago, Paphiopedilum sanderianum was lost to cultivation in the early 20th
century. Known only from a few rare drawings and paintings, its very existence was
questioned. Was this a rare mutation or hybrid, or a strange anomaly of nature? Did the
plants ever exist or were the long petals, two or more feet in length, simply the fanciful
imaginings of an artist? It was not until the late 20th century that this was resolved when Paph sanderianum was rediscovered on the island of Sarawak in Borneo. Here the plant thrives on vertical limestone cliffs, where its amazingly long petals can dangle and flutter in the humid air. Though protected in the wild (most of its colonies are found within a national park) and by international law, this has not stopped collectors from removing plants from the wild. Soon after the rediscovery, a few plants were imported to the west, apparently with the intention of artificially propagating the species. Yet in the ensuing years, few if any seed grown plants have been made available to the public. A recent sib cross of sanderianum released widely in the late 1990s, turned out to be Prince Edward of York, arguably the best of the sanderianum hybrids, but not sanderianum. From being perceived as widely available, finally, overnight, Paph sanderianum became a rarity yet again. Flasks of seedlings have since been advertised here and there, but descriptions or pictures of parents used are often not available, nor is the ownership of plants always clear. Without solid evidence, growers are reluctant to pay high prices for seedlings that may take a decade to reach blooming size before they prove to be the real thing. Furthermore imported plants or seedlings are often suspect, often having been illegally collected from the wild, and are often of unknown parentage. Plants of Paph sanderianum are now in collections in the US, Europe, and East Asia. Further collection of this species is unnecessary and unconscionable. Artificially propagated seedlings with 'proven' parenthood from cultivated plants are, in this new millennium, becoming available. Difficulty in obtaining seed, and the reluctance to breed with plants before they get up to size, may explain, at least partially, why this has taken so long. It may be another decade before seedlings become plentiful and in the meantime, like other rarities in the orchid world, they will be expensive. Growers, and judges, will also have to be satisfied with plants that are more 'typical' of the species i.e. those with narrow dorsals, muted colors, and petals of about 24" in length. The AOS has awarded some exceptional clones including 'Rapunzel' AM/AOS with 35"+ petals! It is likely that the fortunate owner of this plant will continue to make attempts to self it, so far unsuccessfully. Excessive pressure for cultivars that have darker colours, longer petals, or wider dorsals may indirectly encourage further collection of superior natural forms and endanger this species. Mature blooming size seed grown plants of sanderianum are available in the US, but have been prohibitively expensive. Now, for the first time home grown plants, artificially propagated form selected parents here in the US, are finally available at reasonable prices. Click here for references. The plant you are about to see is a cross of two cultivars: 'Deep Flight' x 'Deep Pockets' made in the US more than a decade ago.
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