Paphiopedilum wilhelminae is endemic to west and east New Guinea. It is found near the Wissel Lakes region in western New Guinea (Irian Jaya) eastward to the Southern Highland Province in New Guinea. It grows on grassy slopes in heavy, clay-like soil over limestone and on limestone rubble between 1700-1800 meters above sea level.
Paphiopedilum wilhelminae also called as Wilhelminha's Paphiopedium, Paphiopedilum glanduliferum var. wilhelminae, Paphiopedilum praestans subsp. wilhelminae, Paphiopedilum praestans var. wilhelminae, is a species of the genus Paphiopedilum. This species was described by Louis Otho Otto Williams in 1942.
IDENTIFY PAPHIOPEDILUM WILHELMINAE ORCHID PLANT
Paphiopedilum wilhelminae is endemic to west and east New Guinea. It is found near the Wissel Lakes region in western New Guinea (Irian Jaya) eastward to the Southern Highland Province in New Guinea. It grows on grassy slopes in heavy, clay-like soil over limestone and on limestone rubble between 1700-1800 meters above sea level.
It is an intermediate growing terrestrial with clustered growths forming large clumps that have 4-6, linear-oblong, obtuse and tridenticulate at apex, 6-27 cm long and 2-3.5 cm wide, sparsely ciliate on basal margins, dark green, glabrous leaves.
Wilhelminha's Paphiopedium blooms in December and January from the 2-3-flowered inflorescence; the peduncle 30-50 cm long, shortly pubescent; floral bracts ovate, acute, to 4.5 cm long, glabrous, ciliate. The flowers are large, 12-16 cm in diameter. Sepals and petals whitish or pale straw yellow with maroon veins, petals with dark maroon veins at base, maroon in apical part, sometimes petals almost entirely maroon; lip yellow, veined and more or less flushed purple-brown, the staminode reddish with a yellow base, with brownish hairs on the sides.
PAPHIOPEDILUM WILHELMINAE ORCHID PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Paphiopedilum wilhelminae like bright sunshine without access to direct sunlight, so during the midday solstice they must be placed behind a curtain or in the shade of other plants.
Temperature:
This orchid need the follow temperature regime: In summer, the day temperature at 20-22 ° C, and night temperature at 17-19 ° C; in winter the day temperature at 20-23 ° C, and night temperature at 13-16 ° C. For successful cultivation at home, the night temperature of the content should always be 3 ° C lower than the daily one.
Humidity:
The humidity of 50-70% will be enough for normal growth and development of the plant. However, at temperatures above 27 ° C, it is desirable to increase the air humidity to at least 70%, since too dry air adversely affects the roots and leaves of the plant. A lot of fresh air and sufficient air circulation are recommended.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Paphiopedilum wilhelminae are grow only in the pot. A mixture of bark of coniferous trees with peat is best suited as a substrate. In addition, it is strongly recommended to add lime to the substrate. Practically not exhausted source of lime are seashells, which can be thoroughly washed from salt, crushed and poured into the substrate.
Repot is necessary annually. The best time for this is spring - the beginning of a new growth. A very important point here is the height of planting. If this orchid is planted incorrectly, for example, too high, the orchid's roots will hang in the air and stop growing. The substrate should cover the upper red-and-white part of the plant for 1-2 fingers, and in no case should it be tamped down, because if the substrate is too dense, the orchid can simply suffocate. When planting, you must take care of a thick layer of drainage to protect the orchid from stagnant water inside the pot.
Watering:
Wilhelminha's Paphiopedium needs frequent and abundant watering throughout the year. Excess water during irrigation should flow freely from the pot, since stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pan can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant. The substrate between waterings should dry well, but not dry completely. After watering, water from the leaves must be removed with a tissue or tissue.
Spraying the outer part of the plant at home will not lead to anything good, since the structure of its leaves resembles a funnel, and water constantly accumulates in the core of the plant, which can very quickly lead to rotting of both peduncles and the core itself.
Fertilizer:
Throughout the year, this orchid is fertilized once every two weeks in the spring and summer, once every 4 weeks in the fall and winter. Fertilizer should be applied to the plant with 30-10-10 fertilizer, diluted, ¼ teaspoon per week in summer and once a month in winter. Each month to flush the water once to prevent the salt from standing in the pot.
Rest period:
Paphiopedilum wilhelminae does not need a rest period to stimulating flowering nor in winter, so the given condition should maintain throughout the year.
COMMENTS