Phragmipedium chapadense

The New World genus of Phragmipedium is a ''lookalike '' of the strikingly similar looking Asian Paphiopedilum genus . Both genara have flowers with that characteristic shoe-like lip that earned them the nick name ''Venus's shoes ''. Besides geographical differences , some other differences can be observed between these two genera: for one ,where as Phragmipedium orchids are characterized by an ovary with three layers of casting,a segmented and the lip edge is not revolute. Phragmipedium species are usually sizeable terrestrial orchids forming dense clusters of long ,narrow ,pointed leaves. P. chapadense has elegant flowers that appear on a 16 -20 in/40-50 cm long flower spike bearing two or three of them . Long wine -red petals that reach lengths of 6 in /15 cm and almost horizontally stick to the sides dominate the flowers . Grow the species in the same way as other orchids of the genus Phragmipedium. The plant was discovered in Brazil.