A Crossing between
Phragmipedium and Paphiopedilum

A　news Flash
The first flower between Paphiopedium and Phragmipedium　that I have introduced as following was open recently.　020429

Phrag. besseae 'Taiki' BM/JOGA x Paph. micranthum
This hybrid is one of the followings, (1)Phrag. besseae x Paph. micranthum by Mr. Kiryu. The bud has come in this Feb. ,was growing very slowly and open last week. He called me last night excited. At the first, NS of this flower is about 5 cm and latter it is growing up to 6.5 cm. Especially, the shape of petal was grown to longer. The new photo will be released in near future, please wait for a while.
　It is very interesting flower, is it ! The mother of this seedling is Phrag. besseae. So, this plant and flower must be the progeny.　 Fro the shape and marking must have the both blood of Paphg, and Paph. But the flower is strange....... ? At least, in the color, the characteristics were disappeared and came from the basic structure of Paph. micranthum. I said, it is strange in spite of myself but it might be very basic phenomena.

After one week latter of the flower above.

Photo by Miss Miyuki Ohki
The further new photographs were recived. These will be introduced on the next page, NO.2 (click here). 020502

　As I received the clear results about crossings between Phragmipedium and Paphiopedilum, I 'll show you the results here. This information by Kr. Hideo Kiryu will be released in the News Letter by Kawasaki Orchid Club in Oct., 2000. The content is permitted by the society and the author to be informed here.
　The crossing between Phragmipedium and Paphiopedilum is very interested in by many Paph. fans. I have hard several trying but we can not get the results exactly. Because in almost of all cases, they use seed pod of Phrag. and the seedlings and flower are very similar to Phrag., the mother plant. But it is not always the breeding was not succeeded. But we, the amateur Paph. growers and not a specialist in Botanical science will not be able to accept the results as it was in our feeling. On the other hand, some botanists demonstrated the seedlings that is the hybrid between Phrag and Paph and very similar to Phrag has the typical some part of gene of Paph. We understand the meanings but can not accept the flower. But now, Mr. Kiryu demonstrated the critical results. Also he used Phrag for seed pod but the seedlings are very similar to Paph. It is very clear results that you can see the Photo bellow. I have never seen the clear results like this. I'm looking forward to seeing the flower in future too. (Tanaka)

Mr. Hidero Kiryu

　I'm trying to cross between Phragmipedium and Paphiopedilum for 12 years. But it is very difficult to get the seedlings from the crosses. Even if I got the seedlings , they were so difficult to grow well. Now I have succeeded 2 crosses exactly and I'll show you the results as follows.

　I have made 33 crosses of Phragmipedium and Paphiopedilum in these 12 year. In these crossings, I had only 9 seed pods. In these crosses, only 5 crosses were growing in flasks and only 3 seedlings are growing in pots now. Further more, I have one cross in flasks and 1 cross on plant.

(1) Phrag. besseae x Paph. micranthum :　
I have gotten only one plant. Now, it is 3 years old with 18cm. The leaves are round and thin with mottled like Paph. micranthum. And the back color of leaves is red.
(2) Phrag. besseae x Paph. malipoense :　
I have gotten 20 plats. Now, it is 2 years old with 12cm. The leaves are round and thin with mottled like Paph. malipoense. But the mottle is not so strong. And the back color of leaves is green.
(3) Phrag. Eric Young x Paph. Magic Lantern :　
I have gotten 600 plats. Now, The first seedlings are deflasking now.
(4) Paph. sukhakulii x Paph. besseae :　Germinating in flask now.
(5) Paph. delenatii x Phrag. dalessandroi :　
About 4 months on plant.

About culture
The plants of (1) and (2) are very similar to Paphiopedilum. So I grew them according to Paphiopedilum's procedure but they did not grow well. Then I changed them to grow according to Phrag's procedure and they grow very well. They like water very much and I put them in pot with water plate. And they don't like feed so much.

Note:
The seed pod that is on Phrag. besseae will be matured in 75 days. You had better take the pod in 70 years after breeding. I succeeded the crosses species x species and F1 x F1 only. In other combination like ( species x F1 ) were not succeeded. The seeds were not germinated in Paph's formula but did in formula for Phalenopsis.

(1) Phrag. basso
　　　x Paph. micranthum

LS18cm. One year for flowering.

(2) Phrag. basso
　　　　　x Paph. malipoense

(3) Phrag. Eric Young
x Paph. Magic Lantern

We are very interested in these hybrids but the succeeded instance were so rare. I'm very interested in the flower of these crossing too. When the flower has come, I'll introduce them to you immediately.

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