Paphiopedilum sanderianum
Sander's Paphiopedilum
Family Orchidaceae
About
A rare slipper orchid from Gunung Mulu in Borneo, famed for trailing petals that can exceed 1 m in length.
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
- Moderately deep shade.
- 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
- Habitat averages 22–25 °C.
- Soil
- Calcareous, slightly alkaline medium (pH about 7.3–7.5) with moss and leaf litter.
- 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
Its ribbon-like petals can grow over a metre long; a cultivated plant in 1999 reached 90 cm. Hybrids have never matched this length. Flowers April–June in the wild.
Distribution & habitat
Gunung Mulu National Park, northwestern Borneo (Sarawak), at 100–500 m on steep dolomite limestone pinnacles in moderately deep shade, with roots in moss and leaf litter on rock.
History & etymology
Found in 1885 by J. Foerstermann for the nurseryman F. Sander. It was lost to cultivation early in the 20th century and feared extinct until rediscovered by Ivan Nielson in 1978.
Conservation
The wild population lies within the protected Gunung Mulu National Park.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Malaysia
- IUCN status
- Critically endangered
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- Habitat averages 22–25 °C.
- 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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