Paph. Midnight Beacon 'Darkest Light'

(Cyberspace x Mod Maude)

Paph. Midnight Beacon is one of the modern-day vinicolor hybrids, so named because of the rich red-purple coloration of the flowers. Once rare and prohibitively expensive, good-quality vinis are now so widely available that any orchid grower can afford to grow one (or more than one, as the case may be). That said, vinis have perhaps the most intense love/hate relationship of any paph with the orchid community; certain growers despise their dark color, hairs, and warts, while other growers (who will remain unnamed) can't seem to get enough of them.

This particular plant was purchased because it exhibited certain characteristics that suggested polyploidy, which include thick, glossy leaves with some wrinkling. And indeed, the flower is fairly large for a first-bloom seedling (4.75" natural spread), although a chromosome count is the only way to confirm the ploidy.

photo taken on 05-06-02
All images and descriptions copyright Jason Chang. Personal use permitted, but no commercial use without explicit permission.

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