Paphiopedilum helenae Aver. 1996 Subgen Paphiopedilum Sec. Paphiopedilum Karasawa & Saito 1982 Photos courtesy of © Lourens Grobler

Another Flower Photo by Olaf Gruss, courtesy of Rod Rice and Oasis the Journal

Color Variety Photo courtesy of Jean Claude George

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Common Name Ellen's Paphiopedilum [Ellen Wilson, American Orchid Enthusiast]

Flower Size 2 to 2 1/2" [5 to 6 cm]

A small [smallest of the genus] lithophytic species found recently in north Vietnam and southern China in primary, mixed and coniferous, semi-deciduous, open broadleafed dry forest on steep highly eroded limestone cliff faces facing north at elevations of 100 to 900 meters with 3 to 5 distichous, coriaceous-fleshy to rigid, succulent, oblanceolate to oblong-elliptic, obtuse and tridenticulate apically, green leaves with a few purple spots beneath near the base that has an suberect or slightly hanging, 1 3/5" to 2 3/4" [4 to 7 cm] long, shortly and densely black-purple pubescent inflorescence with a single flower arising from a conduplicate, ovate to elliptic bract that occurs in the late summer and fall.

Synonyms Paphiopedilum delicatum Liu & Zhang 2001; Paphiopedilum helenae f. aureum O.Gruss & Roeth 1999

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list IPNI ; The Genus Paphiopedilum Vol 1 & 2 Braem 1999

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