Paphiopedilum fowliei
Fowlie's Paphiopedilum
Family Orchidaceae
About
A critically endangered slipper orchid known from a single area of southeastern Palawan in the Philippines.
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
- Bright light without direct sun; grows well under fluorescent lights.
- 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
- Mature size
- About 20 cm tall.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Plants reach about 20 cm, with blue-grey leaves 10–14 cm long faintly tessellated above. A 25 cm stalk carries one flower whose S-curved petals are veined green and purple and edged with black warts. Flowers mostly January to April.
Distribution & habitat
Southeastern Palawan, Philippines, on leaf mould over limestone at 600–950 m, in bright light but out of direct sun.
Ecology
A generation spans about 7–8 years.
History & etymology
Named after Dr Jack Fowlie, editor of Orchid Digest.
Conservation
Critically endangered and known from one location; all of Palawan is a protected area.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Philippines
- IUCN status
- Critically 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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