Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Specific Families and Genera => Pleione and Orchidaceae => Topic started by: johanneshoeller on May 30, 2009, 05:46:33 AM

Title: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: johanneshoeller on May 30, 2009, 05:46:33 AM
Here are some Cypripedium calceolus which grow near my garden - the season has just started here. I hope it is of interest for you.
It is raining and raining again and very cold (today +4°C), so the pictures are not so perfect. I have taken 500 pics of different calceolus. All plants are abnormal (very large shoes, interesting colours or petals,...) and I hope you can see it.

Part 1
Title: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: johanneshoeller on May 30, 2009, 05:51:57 AM
Part 2:
Title: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: johanneshoeller on May 30, 2009, 06:12:07 AM
Part 3 (I hope there are not too many uninteresting pics!!):
Title: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Paul T on May 30, 2009, 07:10:06 AM
Hans,

 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o  Wow!  So many nice forms in there, particularly 9163 with it's perfectly twisted petals.  Stunning!  Thanks for showing us.  8)
Title: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Lvandelft on May 30, 2009, 07:22:50 AM
Hans, this shows very good that in nature the so called real plant can occur in varied forms.  ::)
I like nr 7 in the first batch and nrs. 3 and 4 in the 2nd batch very much, but nrs. 3 and 4 of the last batch
is the most stunning form (for me).
Thanks for sharing these beautiful and interesting pictures!
Title: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Lvandelft on May 30, 2009, 07:24:36 AM
Oh, and I don't like the first one in batch one at all!   :-\
Title: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Maggi Young on May 30, 2009, 01:25:28 PM
Hans, I think this expression of the interesting variation in the wild Cyp. caleolus is important enough to warrant its own place... I will split the page !  8)
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Joakim B on May 30, 2009, 07:07:19 PM
Luit I thought number 1 in batch one was most interesting so taste is different.
Thanks Hans for showing this lovely diversity.
Kind regards
Joakim
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Lvandelft on May 30, 2009, 08:50:03 PM
Joakim, interesting yes, but... ;)
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Anthony Darby on June 01, 2009, 09:17:12 AM
The depth of colour is due to the temperature when the flower forms. I think it is possibly darker when the temperature is cooler, which is why plants in shade, and thus sheltered, tend to be light. It also explains why you can get a pale and a dark flower on the same stem, and differences from year to year.
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: johanneshoeller on June 01, 2009, 05:32:33 PM
Antony,
I thought so like you years before, but I have just seen that the temperature does not have any effect to the depth of the colour!!
When I have taken the photos, the temperature was very high (30°C). The dark petals or shoes are always dark!
Now it is very cold with snow where the Cyps grow(!) and the new flowers are dark or light!
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: ian mcenery on June 01, 2009, 05:47:39 PM
Hans great pictures I will have one of each please  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Regelian on June 01, 2009, 05:51:35 PM
Wow!

Hans, thanks for posting these and Maggi, thanks for seperating the thread.  This is my all time favourite Cyp, due to the variation and general elegance.  Nice to know I can plan on a lot of collecting in the next years.  Hans, do you know if flasked seedlings give this much variation, or do they tend to be consistent from any given pod?
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Anthony Darby on June 03, 2009, 12:06:46 PM
Antony,
I thought so like you years before, but I have just seen that the temperature does not have any effect to the depth of the colour!!
When I have taken the photos, the temperature was very high (30°C). The dark petals or shoes are always dark!
Now it is very cold with snow where the Cyps grow(!) and the new flowers are dark or light!

The temperature is only important at a particular stage of flower development within a clone. You can have a mild winter, but if there is a cold snap when the flower is developing its colour it will be different from another on the same plant that is earlier or later. I had a clone that was sheltered under shrubs and it was always very pale. When I moved it into the open its tepals were really dark.
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Luc Gilgemyn on June 03, 2009, 01:00:29 PM
Fabulous series Hans !!!!  :o :o

I tend to agree with Anthony on this one - I have the distinct impression the same phenomenon occurs with Pleione !  Lighter colours when developping (quicker !) during a warm spell.
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: johanneshoeller on June 03, 2009, 05:06:40 PM
Luc and Antony, what you said is correct.
There are clones which have dark or light flowers and they will always flower darker or lighter than other plants. If the weather is cold during the development of the flower Cypripedium calceolus will be flower a little darker generelly. If the plants have stress they will flower lighter (even the dark flowering Cyps).  I have never seen an influence of the winter temperatures on the colour of the flowers.
After the very long winter 2005 with a lot of snow (flowering time was in a cold June) I have found many very dark flowering calceolus and a lot of very light (yellow, green,...) plants.
All this is valid for the nature!
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Katherine J on June 04, 2009, 07:29:13 AM
Hans,
Now I understand why Your avatar is a Cypripedium. ;D
Thank You for this marvellous selection.
Title: Re: Cypripedium calceolus : natural variations
Post by: Hristo on June 14, 2009, 07:13:14 PM
Super series of photos, great to see so much variation in one species!
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