Paphiopedilum bougainvilleanum
| Paphiopedilum bougainvilleanum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cypripedioideae |
| Genus: | Paphiopedilum |
| Species: | P. bougainvilleanum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Paphiopedilum bougainvilleanum Stiles & Fowlie (1971)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Paphiopedilum violascens var. bougainvilleanum (Fowlie) Koop. | |
Paphiopedilum bougainvilleanum or the Bougainville paphiopedilum is a species of slipper orchid endemic to Bougainville and the Solomon Islands. This slipper orchid is rare among enthusiasts, and is difficult to cultivate.[2]
Taxonomy
It was originally described by Stiles and Fowlie in the Orchid Digest in 1971, with its epithet referring to its natural habitat in Bougainville.[3] P. bougainvilleanum is closely similar to P. violascens, and is sometimes referred to as a variant of P. violascens, as described by Koop in 1995.[4]
Description
P. bougainvilleanum grows on forest floors or on trees in wet montane forests over granite, with leaf litter, humus or mosses as medium for growth. The orchid consists of 5 to 7 leaves measuring 14–22 centimetres (5.5–8.7 in) long and 2–5 centimetres (0.79–1.97 in) wide, with its upper surface being generally pale green, but faintly mottled with dark green. Its pale green inflorescence has a purple-white pubescent and measures 10–23 centimetres (3.9–9.1 in) long, consisting of a single flower around 5 centimetres (2.0 in) wide. Peak flowering occurs in late spring and late fall.[3]
Distribution
P. bougainvilleanum is endemic to Bougainville and throughout the Solomon Islands,[5] where it grows in elevations of 1,150–1,850 metres (3,770–6,070 ft) and a mean temperature range of 17–18 °C (63–64 °F).[3]
Conservation
Cribb in 1986 described P. bougainvilleanum as a generally endangered fauna due to over-collecting.[6] IUCN in 2015 designated it as critically endangered due to harvesting and local development.[1]
References
- ^ a b Rankou, H. (2015). "Paphiopedilum bougainvilleanum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T43320135A43327799. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T43320135A43327799.en. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "Paphiopedilum bougainvilleanum (Fowlie) Koop". World of Paphiopedilum. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Manza, Stephen (23 July 2006). "Paphiopedilum bougainvilleanum". slipperorchids.info. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "Paphiopedilum violascens var. bougainvilleanum (Fowlie) Koop". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ Yap, Jing Wei (2015). Molecular and genome evolution in the Malesian slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum section Barbata) (PDF) (PhD thesis). Queen Mary University of London. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ Defilipps, Robert A. (October 1987). A bibliography of plant conservation in the Pacific islands: endangered species, habitat conversion, introduced biota (Report). National Museum Of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.