Paphiopedilum delenatii

In the past ,P. delenatii was an unattainable dream of many an amateur orchid grower . Nowadays ,there are a sufficient number of speciemens available that have been achieved by breeding ;however ,the prices still remain quite steep. No wonder -the flowers of this Venus's shoe are absolutely unique ! The plants leaves are fairly common -white -marbled and reaching lengths of up to 6 in /15 cm . The usually two -flowered spike is about 8 in/ 20 cm tall . The dominant feature of the white flowers consisting of a couple of broad petals and an extremely reduced upper sepal is a pink lip . Even though a temperate environment is recommended for cultivating these plants , good blooming is guaranteed if you treat the plant to atleast a one-month - long dry period with a temperatures below 50 F /10 F . The species blooms in the spring and is still reported to grow in the wild in northern Vietnam .