Paphiopedilum fairrieanum [Lindley] Stein 1892 Subgen Paphiopedilum Sec. Karasawa & Saito 1982 Photo courtesy of Allen Black.

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Common Name Fairrie's Paphiopedilum [English Orchid Enthusiast 1800's]

Flower Size about 4" [9 to 10 cm]

This dwarf, clump forming herbaceous epiphyte that grows in leaf litter and humus as well as limestone outcrops in tall grass and oak forests with clear dull green leaves is found in the Indian Himalayas and Bhutan at an altitude of 1300-2200 meters, on the edges of high river banks and forests and is a warm to cold growing plant with narrowly elliptic to ligulate, dull green, mid-rib prominent on underside leaves that blooms with 1 flower on a pubescent, 10" [25 cm] long, slender, purple pubescent inflorescence occuring in the late autumn through spring.

Synonyms Cordula fairrieana [Lindley] Rolfe 1912; Cypripedium assamicum Linden ex Koch & Fintelm. 1858; *Cypripedium fairrieanum Lindley 1857; Paphiopedilum fairrieanum f. bohlmannianum (Mato) Braem 1998; Paphiopedilum fairrieanum var. bohlmannianum Mato 1942; Paphiopedilum fairrieanum var. giganteum Pradhan 1979; Paphiopedilum fairrieanum var. nigrescens Pradhan 1979

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2007

Paphiopedilum fairrieanum [Lindley] Stein 1892 var albaSubgen Paphiopedilum Sec. Ceratopetalum Haller 1897 Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

An albino version of the previous species.

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