Paphiopedilum purpuratum [Lindley] Stein 1894

SUBGENUS Sigmatopetalum SECTION Planipetalum Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler

to and EARLY

Common Name The Purple Paphiopedilum - In China Zi Wen Dou Lan

Flower Size 3 to 4" [7.5 to 10 cm]

This small sized, warm to cool growing, herbaceous terrestrial, humus epiphytic species or lithopyhte on steep limestone cliff faces in deep shade that has 4 to 8, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, mottled light and dark green above, pale green below leaves that are unequally trilobed apically and is found around Hong Kong in southeastern China and Vietnam in leaf litter among the roots of bamboo and between rocks at elevations of 1200 to 1600 meters on north and northwestern facing wooded slopes near streams where it blooms with an erect, terminal, slender, one to rarely 2 flowered, 5 to 8" [12.5 to 20 cm] long, purple with white pubescent inflorescence with a narrowly ovate-elliptic, acuminate floral bract with white pubescence occuring in the summer and early fall.

Synonyms Cordula purpurata [Lindley] Rolfe 1912; *Cypripedium purpuratum Lindley 1837; Cypripedium sinicum Hance ex Rchb.f 1853; Menephora bicolor Raf. 1836; Paphiopedilum aestivum Liu & Zhang 2001; Paphiopedilum purpuratum var hainanense Liu & Perner 2001; Paphiopedilum sinicum [Hance ex Rchb.f] Stein 1892

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1855 as Cypripedium purpuratum; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 photoOrchid Digest Vol 38 no 3 1974 as P purpurescens photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 45 No 1 1981 as P purpurescens photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 45 No 1 1981 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 46 No 6 1982 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 51 No 2 1987 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 59 No 3 1995 photo fide; Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen Mori 1997; The Genus Paphiopedilum Vol 1 & 2 Braeme 1999; Native Orchids of China in Colour Singchi, Zhanhuo and Yibo 1999 photo fide; Lindleyana Vol 15 No 4 2000; AOS Buletin Vol 71 No 5 2002 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 4 2004 photo as P aestivum; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 8 2006 photo; Orchid Digest Vol 72 No 3 2008 as P pupuratum f album; Orchids of Vietnam, Illustrated survey, part 1 Averyanov 2008; A Field Guide to the Orchids of China Singchi, Zhongjian, Yibo, Xiaohua and Zhanhuo 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photo fide; The Wild Orchids of Hong Kong Barretto, Cribb and Gale 2011 drawing/photo fide

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------