Paphiopedilum rothschildianum, described in 1888, is a species of orchid commonly known as the King of the Paphs. It is a large sized clear-leafed plant. It blooms with a tall inflorescence with up to six, large flowers. It is unique in the Corypetalum group by holding its petals almost horizontally, giving the flower a very large appearance. The peak flowering period is from April to May.

Distribution

Paphiopedilum rothschildianum (also called 'Rothschild's slipper orchid', after its discoverer) is found in the rainforests around Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu

Mount Kinabalu is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the tallest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the tallest mountain in the Malay...

 in northern Borneo

Borneo

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....

, at elevations from 500 to 1200 meters above the sea. It commonly grows as a terrestrial but is also found growing as a lithophyte

Lithophyte

Lithophytes are a type of plant that grows in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off moss, nutrients in rain water, litter, and even their own dead tissue....

 in leaf-litter on non-limestone cliffs. It usually grows near a river.

Reproduction

The flower has a green and red spotted petal, which attracts any parasitic flies

Fließ

Fließ is a municipality in the Landeck district and is located5 km south of Landeck on the upper course of the Inn River. It has 9 hamlets and was already populated at the roman age; the village itself was founded around the 6th century. After a conflagration in 1933 Fließ was restored more...

 in the area, because they think it is a crowd of aphids and they want to lay their eggs on it. As they try to lay the eggs, the flies brush against the stigma, releasing any previously collected pollen

Pollen

Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...

, and then getting some more from the anther.

Culture

Paphiopedilum rothschildianum prefers a warm to hot bright spot. Since it is usually found nearby water it enjoys a very high humidity. Light should be as bright as possible short of leaf burn, though the plants grow quite well in lower lights as well.