Paphiopedilum venustum

This Venus's shoe seems quite flawless : it is decorative not only for its flowers but also its leaves ;its proportions are ideal and the species ' cultivation demands are manageable by any beginner . From the historical point of view ,it holds one primacy : it was the first Venus's shoe ever to bloom in Europe (in England in 1819 ) . The plant forms dense clusters of several leaf rosettes; the leaves are dark green ,and red on the bottom . The spike bears a single flower and it reaches a length of 6 in /15 cm . The upper sepal is white with pronounced green stripes ,the blunt-edged petals are wine-red on the ends and embellished with several conspicuous dark papillae . The lip is adorned with an intense brown -and -green marbling . Grow the species the same as P. insigne . The flowers are enjoyed in the winter .O. Venustum comes from the Himalayas .