Paphiopedilum insigne

Appearance

Terrestrial herb. Leaves 5–6, up to 32 cm long, 2.5-3 cm wide, leathery, ligulate, blade light green, underside purple spotted at base. Scape, erect, up to 25 cm long, terminating in a solitary flower, green, shortly purple-pubescent; elliptic or oblong-elliptic bract, obtuse, up to 5 cm long, glabrous, purple spotted at base. Flowers 7–12 cm wide; variable in colour; dorsal sepal with white apical portion with raised purple spots on inner margin, base pale green with brown spots; petals linear-oblong, margin wavy, glabrous, yellow-brown. Lip helmet shaped, yellow or yellowish-green with purple-brown shade, staminode yellow.
Fl. & Fr. : October-December.

Distribution

This species is native to the Khasi hills in the Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya, and the adjoining Sylhet region of Bangladesh. It is also reported from northwest Yunnan in China. It was originally described based a specimen from Sylhet, but because there have been no further reports of this species from this region, it could be extinct there due to over collection and habitat destruction. Reports from Thailand and Myanmar are uncertain or erroneous and if ever present there this species is likely extinct there.

Status

Due to ruthless collection for international trade in the 19th and 20th century, current poaching for regional trade, and destruction of its habitat, the species has become very rare.

Habitat

It grows in humus and debris in crevices and among grasses and shrubs on steep open dolomitic limestone rock slopes and cliffs above streams, rivers and waterfalls at an altitude of 1000-1600 meters. Unique pictures of the plant in its natural habitat can be viewed .