Paphiopedilum barbatum
Penang slipper orchid
Family OrchidaceaeAlso called Bearded Paphiopedilum
About
The Penang slipper orchid, found in the Malay Peninsula, southern Thailand and Sumatra. It is highly valued by growers and assessed as endangered by the IUCN in 2015.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Shade-loving: roughly 1,000–2,000 foot-candles, such as an east or west window or a shaded south window. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Keep the mix evenly moist but never soggy; do not leave the pot standing in water. General guidance for the genus
- Humidity
- Moderate, about 40–50%; a tray of damp gravel helps, with steady air movement. General guidance for the genus
- Temperature
- Nights about 13–22 °C (55–72 °F), days 21–29 °C (70–85 °F); mottled-leaf and multi-flowered types prefer the warmer end, plain green-leaved types the cooler end. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Fine to medium fir bark with perlite, sand or sphagnum; limestone-dwelling species appreciate added limestone chips or oyster shell. General guidance for the genus
- Pot
- Repot about every two years, or sooner if the mix breaks down. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Divide established clumps into groups of three to five growths; single growths may take time to flower. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Five to eight leaves up to 15 cm long, mottled pale and dark green above. A purple stalk 20–27 cm tall bears usually one flower 8–10 cm wide. Colour and form vary widely; plants from Aceh have wavy greenish petals without pink tones.
Distribution & habitat
West coast of the Malay Peninsula south to Johor, including Penang, and parts of Sumatra such as Aceh and West Sumatra, at 200–1,300 m.
History & etymology
Usually credited to Lindley in 1841 from a plant collected on Gunung Ledang, although Blume may have described it earlier, in 1823.
Conservation
Assessed as endangered by the IUCN in 2015.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand
- IUCN status
- Endangered
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- Nights about 13–22 °C (55–72 °F), days 21–29 °C (70–85 °F); mottled-leaf and multi-flowered types prefer the warmer end, plain green-leaved types the cooler end.
- Humidity
- Moderate, about 40–50%; a tray of damp gravel helps, with steady air movement.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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