Paphiopedilum khanzae (CAVESTRO)
Sektion: Barbata
On the online site of the German Orchideengesellschaft e.V. William CAVESTRO has presented a new Paphiopedilum from the Moluccas called Paphiopedilum khanzae:
https://orchidee.de/wp-content/uploads/Paphiopedilum-khanzae-eine-neue-Art-von-den-Molukken.pdf
When new orchid species bloom for the first time in nurseries around the world, these plants should also be given a name. Often several taxonomists carry out a description of this species in parallel. The taxonomist who is the first to publish his description gets the credit - this is where William CAVESTRO determines the new name for the plant.
According to the so-called priority rule, this first published name of the orchid should be used. This rule is fundamental in nomeclature.
For further information about this new species, I would like to present the preparatory work for this new lady's slipper by Olaf GRUSS, the photos are by Saefudin TAUFIK:
A new species of the genus Paphiopedilum from Obi Islands
So far, little is known about the orchid occurrence on the islands of the Moluccas. So far, a few species of the genus Paphiopedilum have been known to be found there. For example, there are occurrences of Paph. schoseri on the island of Bacan.
A completely unknown species from the Obi Islands, part of the North Moluccas, bloomed in the orchid collection of Saefudin TAUFIK in Bandung. There the plant grows in leaf humus at altitudes from sea level to approx. 100 m. After it was not possible to obtain a type document from S. TAUFIK, Agus bin MARUF offered. Such a plant bloomed in March 2024. At first glance, the species is similar to Paph. tonsum or Paph. tonsum var. braemii, due to the color of the flower, but differs significantly in the structure of the flowers. In the new species, the dorsal sepalum is significantly smaller, while the comparison species and its variety have dorsal sepals that are almost twice as large as in the new species. In addition, the petals are held at a different angle; here they appear more in the basal part to be horizontal, while the petals of the other two plants are curved evenly downwards. The lip in the new plant is more rounded at the apex and the sides are parallel, in contrast to the triangular lips of the other two taxa.
The new species is closely related to the Paphiopedilum tonsum (REICHENBACH f.)STEIN, and Paphiopedilum tonsum var. braemii (MOHR) O. GRUSS 'Caesiana' 3:27, 1994, but differs in the smaller dorsal sepalum (flag), the shorter petals with different tips and without black warts on the edges and the wider lip to the tip more rounded.
Description:
The herbaceous humus epiphyte develops a plant with 3-5 leaves, which, fully developed, enclose the short stem, with their bases covering each other; the leaves are tongue-shaped, 12 - 16 cm long and 3 - 3.5 cm wide, pointed, light and dark green marbled, shiny, pointed, clearly keeled on the underside and without spots at the base; the upright inflorescence is 15 - 23 cm high, round-stemmed, brown, hairy, single-flowered; The bract is oval, 1.5 cm long and 1.7 cm wide, surrounding the stem, with whitish hairs on the edge; the ovary is cylindrical, about 7 cm long, 0.8 - 0.9 cm wide, with longitudinal ribs, green, short hairs.
The flower has a diameter of 8 - 9 cm and is approx. 6 - 7 cm high; the dorsal sepal is broadly oval, pointed, 4 cm long and 3.4 cm wide, broadly oval, pointed, sides slightly recurved, white-ground with green longitudinal veins, green in the middle, downy hairs, brown hairs on the back of the longitudinal veins; The petals are almost horizontal to light
Obliquely protruding, 4.5 - 5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, roundish tongue-shaped, with slightly wavy edges, light green to green-yellow with green horizontal veins and irregular
Covered with slightly raised, almost wart-like black dots 0.5–1.5 mm in diameter in the basal area half with short brown hairs at the base; The synsepalum is oval, pointed, 3 cm long and 2.3 cm wide, with fine downy hairs, green with green veins; The lip is inflated like a shoe, 3 cm wide, 4.3 cm high, rounded tip, with inwardly turned warty side lobes, V-shaped incision at the front green-yellow to brownish, with darker veins; The staminode is 1.4 cm long and 1.7 cm wide, kidney-shaped, pale green, the lower edge is a yellowish or darker arched green cone.