The use of Venus hair in folk medicine. "Venus slipper": description and features of cultivation

Orchid family. The genus slipper got its name from the shape of the lip, reminiscent of a woman's slipper. In most European languages, as well as in Latin, this genus is called lady's shoe, Venus' shoe, lady's shoe, etc.

The slipper genus, or Venus slipper, includes about 50 species distributed in the South and North America, Europe and Asia, from the forest-tundra to the tropics.

Plants with rhizome, glandular pubescent stem and large leaves. The stem is either very short, and then with a single pair of leaves that seem to be ground-based, and a one-flowered peduncle, or rather tall, with large alternate leaves and usually with several, more often with 1-3, less often with 6-12 flowers.

The flowers are quite large, peculiar shape, b. am brightly colored, usually with vanilla flavor. Bracts are also large, leaf-shaped. The sepals are petaloid; upper ovoid or elliptical; 2 lateral often grow together into one bidentate at the end, facing down. Petals elliptical or lanceolate, drooping on the sides of the lips, sometimes more or less twisted, often the same color as the sepals. The lip is shoe-shaped, brightly colored, swollen to varying degrees, sometimes with a longitudinal deep fold, as if cut or squeezed along the front or sides, at the top with a hole or mouth. The column has grown together with the staminode, on both sides of which there are anthers of 2 developed stamens. The stigma is corymbose, three-lobed or triangular, turned down into the cavity of the shoe-shaped lip. The ovary is often untwisted, usually on a small stalk. Flowers are pollinated by bees.

Slipper flowers with their complex structure - typical example trap flowers. Once inside the flower, pollinators - usually flying insects - can only exit in a certain way that guarantees pollination. The insect is attracted by the bright color of the flower. It sits on the smooth edge of the lip, slides over it and rolls into its cavity. After fruitless attempts to climb up the smooth, concave surface, the insect notices light coming from two imaginary holes in the side walls at the base of the lip. Moving towards the source of light, the insect must crawl through the stigma of the flower, on which the pollen it has brought will remain, and only then will it be able to notice the real exit. Before leaving the flower, it will rub against the anther and sticky pollen grains not united in poly-nii will stick to its body. Having landed on another flower, the insect will first touch the low-bent stigma and fertilize the flower, and only then will the anther sprinkle it with a new portion of pollen.

The oldest and most primitive genus of orchids. In plants of this genus, instead of a single stamen, preserved in almost all orchids, 2 stamens function, and only the third, underdeveloped, has turned into a petal-shaped staminode. Pollen grains are not connected in pollinia, but are only collected in 4 and immersed in a sticky mass.

The development of shoe seedlings from seed germination to the first flowering takes about 9-10, and often even 13-15 years. Plants can also be propagated vegetatively by successive division of rhizomes. Adult slippers are not too dependent on the mycelium, and therefore they can be transplanted and grown in culture relatively easily.

Because vegetative reproduction inefficient, and it is not yet possible to grow seedlings under sterile conditions in a test tube, natural habitats beautiful views are looted all over the world. To date, the list of species grown in culture includes the true cypripedium C. calceolus and c. large-flowered C. macranthum, as well as North American species: c. royal C. reginae, c. small-flowered C. parviflorum, c. stemless C. acaule and c. mutton C. arietinum; japanese species: c. weak C. debile and c. Japanese C. japonicum; and, finally, the Himalayan species c. cordial C. cordigerum. Until now, new types of slippers appear, for example, a miniature one-leaf type, which has been imported several times recently from China.

Slippers do not have a narrow ecological specialization, and therefore they can inhabit various biotopes, including light deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests, shrubby and rocky slopes, as well as meadows and wastelands high in the mountains and in the lowlands. Since they only inhabit zones temperate climate Northern hemisphere, they bloom mainly in May-July.

Adiantum (Adiantum) is the most sophisticated of all ferns, grown at home. Among houseplants, it is best known as "Venus Hair".

Its small leaves (fronds), densely located to each other, attract with their beauty and grace. For peculiar and very decorative leaves maidenhair, they are often used by florists in the manufacture of compositions. But do not forget that any fern fades very quickly after cutting.

In nature, these plants grow in tropical climates and temperate latitudes. It belongs to the family of centipedes, the number of species of which is more than 200.

An interesting fact is that the maidenhair got its name from the tree of the same name, which is an exact enlarged copy of this fern. Even the shape of the leaves and their arrangement on the stems are the same.

There are two most famous types:

• (Adiantum capillus-veneris L.) - with pinnate, finely dissected fronds on thin dark brown petioles, resembling hair, which is why the plant has such a name.
• (Adiantum pedatum L.) - widely cultivated as a garden ornamental plant...

The main factors in the care of the maidenhair.

The maidenhair plant, which is quite undemanding to care, feels great at home, although it does not like moving from room to room. When changing places, it begins to lose leaves. To obtain active growth, you need to provide all the conditions for acclimatization and not touch from the place where he liked it.

The maidenhair fern grows no more than 60 cm wide, and no higher than 40 cm. When choosing a place for it, it is taken into account that it can begin to grow actively and it can become cramped. Growth is active. Doubling in size in a season is quite normal due to proper care.

How to care for the maidenhair, compliance with all conditions of maintenance and home care ...

- Lighting and temperature.

Does not love bright lighting and sunbeams. Most suitable flower for the north window and shaded corners of the premises. It is not demanding on temperature, however, it should not be kept at less than 10 ° C. In summer, it grows well in outdoor conditions under the canopy of trees.

- Watering and humidity.

The pot must not be allowed to stand in water, although at the same time the plant must not be overdried. Constant moderate humidity, regular spraying, especially in dry rooms ( central heating). Occasionally they wash in the shower, covering the surface of the soil with polyethylene - they let it dry, then put it in place.

Watering should be carried out with well-settled soft water, preferably melt or rain, if possible. In summer, it is enough to water 2-3 times a week, in winter once is enough, provided it is kept cool.

- Top dressing with fertilizers.

Top dressing of the maidenhair is carried out only in the summer (1 time in 2-3 weeks), using liquid mineral fertilizers for ferns. It is useful to alternate top dressing with organic.

- Soil and transplant.

Like all ferns, it prefers tight pots. In the spring, when the flowerpot becomes cramped, they are transplanted into a freer one, while not compacting the soil around the roots. Soil for adiantum can be prepared by yourself or you can buy a special one.

If you make your own mixture, then you need to use fibrous peat, soddy soil and fine sand in equal proportions. Don't forget to add complex fertilizer for decorative and deciduous plants.

If the substrate is purchased, intended for ferns, then mineral fertilizers are taken into account in them. After transplantation, they begin to feed the plant after a month.

It is known that ferns never bloom - they reproduce by spores.

Damaged, old and dried leaves are carefully cut off during the care process.

Very picky about the purity of the air. Can't stand cigar smoke different kinds burning and so on.

How to propagate the maidenhair?

Adiantums are propagated by dividing the bush or rhizome during transplantation. Old specimens that begin to lose their appearance should be divided into several parts and placed in separate pots, picking up suitable size. When planting individual parts of the maidenhair, try not to bury root collar to avoid rotting.

The divided parts of plants sometimes die or do not begin to grow for too long, so the division should be done carefully, trying to injure the roots as little as possible.

The method of reproduction by spores is the most effective, although long and laborious ...

In addition, spores are formed on the reverse sides of adult leaves, which are able to germinate and form new plants. They are carefully collected in a paper bag, slightly dried. Distribute thin layer strictly on the surface of the peat.

It is better to sow maidenhair spores in early spring in a container greenhouse, providing heating from below (can be put on a battery). Make sure that your crops do not dry out, gently moisten them as needed. Keep in a shaded and warm place, maintain a constant temperature of +21 +25 degrees.

Approximately in a month, an inconspicuous green moss will appear on top of the peat, which grows. This is an intermediate stage of fern development - small growths. It is on them that female and male cells are formed. Their fusion is possible only in a humid and warm environment, so peat is constantly kept moist. Then young seedlings are formed, which, after reaching 3-4 cm, are seated, culling the weak ones, into separate containers, retaining a lump of peat in which they grow.

Young plants grown in this way are particularly resistant to environment. At first, they should be grown under glass or polyethylene.

Problems and diseases caused by errors in caring for the plant.

To enjoy the magnificence of adiantums, you need to carefully look after them.

• If the leaves of the maidenhair are wrinkled and turn brown at the edges, then watering the plant should be increased.
• Dryness of the leaves can be caused due to the presence of various smells of burning, smoke.
• If the leaves have fallen, then this indicates the critical dryness of the soil.
• Cut off the withered stems, water and spray, new young shoots will appear.
• If the fern has become pale, the leaves are thin and weak, it is necessary to feed and reduce the amount of sunlight received.
• If the leaves are curled but not dried out, this indicates that it is too cold and humid. Do not water for a while and move to a warmer place.

With proper care, the maidenhair can grow in one place for decades. Only negligence can destroy a delicate, but unpretentious indoor flower.

The beauty of an orchid has been appreciated by man for a very long time. The peculiarity of the structure of its flower, a rare combination of shades, the aroma peculiar only to it has always attracted with its beauty and unusualness. Some of the species also have medicinal properties. No wonder the flower got such a name, which in a free translation sounds like "descended from God."

Lady's slipper real, species of the genus Slipper of the Orchid family

According to the legend in ancient Greek mythology, the unusual name of the flower comes from the shoe of the goddess Venus, which she dropped. A wanderer passing by found a slipper and decided to pick it up, but as soon as he extended his hand, it turned into beautiful flower shaped like a shoe.

Most orchids live in the tropics or subtropics, but about 150 orchid species are found in the temperate (and even arctic) climate of Russia. The need to adapt to the climate affected their appearance. Compared with the southern relatives, the flowers of some species are smaller and inconspicuous in appearance.

Inflorescence of northern orchid

IN national park"Russian North" formed a record for Russia's unique concentration of orchids. Abundant and viable populations of 22 species grow here. These include the population of the real Venus slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) - the most beautiful plant of all northern orchids.

lady's slipper- it's perennial herbaceous plant from 1-2 original flowers, horizontal rhizome and large elliptical leaves. complex shape flowers that bloom in July, consists of a shoe-shaped lip yellow color with brownish-red perianth.

The orchid usually reaches a height of 20-25 centimeters, but some specimens grow up to 50. Reproduction occurs mainly vegetatively, less often with the help of seeds. The growth of the Venus slipper in the territory of the Vologda region is one of the northernmost territories in the distribution area.

Cypripedium calceolus - the name of the plant in Latin

The plant prefers neutral or alkaline soils with a significant content of humus and calcium, which should be sufficiently moist, but not waterlogged.

The species adapts well to survival in conditions of frost and harsh winters with little snow.

Slipper ordinary

The northern orchid belongs to the species of flora pollinated by insects. Pollinators are common field flies, hover flies, earthen bees, and some other species of Diptera or Hymenoptera insects. Attracted bright color, sweet smell and vibration of hairs, they fly for pollen and nectar.

The unusual shape of the flowers is used by "flower" spiders for their own purposes. They arrange trapping nets on them, into which insects flying by the smell come across. But the role of these "hunters" in the process of pollination is still not known for certain.

Pollination by insects

The most suitable conditions for the conservation of the population of the species are hard-to-reach places for humans and protected areas of nature reserves. Weak side The biology of the species is its insecurity in the face of environmental changes. Population fluctuations can be affected by:

• decrease / increase in the degree of illumination;
• fluctuations in soil moisture;
• lack of insect pollinators;
• the severity of the climate, suggesting the possibility of freezing of the buds of renewal;
• influence anthropogenic factors(pollution environment, overgrazing, direct collection flowering plants, intensive recreation).

The plant is a rare species. to be protected. The real slipper (ordinary) is listed in the national Red Book of the Russian Federation.

real lady's slipper

real lady's slipper
Cypripedium calceolus L.
Category and status: 3 b, d - a rare species.
A brief description of. Short-rhizome herbaceous polycarp. Stems 20-45 cm tall. Reproduction is seed and vegetative. The flowers are pollinated by small Hymenoptera. Fruit formation fluctuates greatly different years.
Spreading. Within Russia, it occurs throughout the forest zone of the European part (except for the extreme north), in the Urals, in the southern part of Siberia and Far East, including Sakhalin (1).

The presence in the North Caucasus refers to cultivated plants (1,2). The species is found on the territory of the Republics of Altai, Bashkortostan, Buryatia, Karelia, Komi, Mari El, Mordovia, Tatarstan, Tuva, Udmurtia, Khakassia, Chechen, Chuvashia, Sakha (Yakutia), Altai, Krasnoyarsk, Transbaikal, Primorsky, Khabarovsk and Perm Territories, Jewish Autonomous Region, Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Region, in the regions - Amur, Arkhangelsk, Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Vologda, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Irkutsk, Kaluga, Kamchatka, Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Kursk, Leningrad, Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orel, Penza, Pskov, Ryazan, Saratov, Samara, Sverdlovsk, Smolensk, Tver, Tomsk, Tula, Tyumen, Ulyanovsk, Chelyabinsk and Yaroslavl. It was indicated earlier for the Kaliningrad, Lipetsk and Tambov regions. The range outside of Russia covers Europe (except for the extreme south), sowing. and north-east Kazakhstan, Mongolia, northern China, the peninsula of Korea, Japan, as well as North. America (3).
Peculiarities of ecology and phytocenology. It grows in light deciduous and mixed forests, on the edges, often in places with excessive moisture. IN Central Russia shows different confinement to soils of different levels of acidity: in the northern part of the range it grows almost exclusively on carbonate soils, to the south it occurs on neutral soils and peat bogs.
Number. Occurs in scattered small populations throughout most of its range.
State of local populations. Populations in densely populated areas invariably show a declining trend (1). 364 Orchid family
limiting factors. Deforestation, intensive land use and melioration, increased recreational load. ornamental plant, suffers from picking on bouquets and digging.
Taken measures protection. It was included in the Red Books of the USSR (1978.1984) and the RSFSR (1988). The species is included in the Red Books or is protected in the territory of most of the subjects of the federation, where it grows. It is protected on the territory of 37 reserves (4), several NPs, as well as regional protected areas. The species is included in Appendix I of the Berne Convention (2002) and Appendix II of the International Convention CITES.
Required security measures. Organization of nature reserves and natural monuments in places where the species grows. Population control. Prohibition of plant collection, especially near cities.

Winter-hardy venus slippers - delightful orchids for your garden

cultivation possibilities. In Russia, for many years it has been grown in 19 botanical gardens(five). In culture, it can successfully reproduce vegetatively (6-8). It is necessary to develop methods for growing from seeds.
Sources of information. 1. Averyanov, 1999; 2. Averyanov, 1994; 3. Cribb, 1997; 4. Current state…, 2003; 5. Plants of the Red Book…, 2005; b. Kukk, 1980; 7. Vrishch, 1980; 8. Vrishch, 1983. Compiled by: L.V. Averyanov.

AOF | 12/16/2014 07:29:11

The beauty ran and ran and dropped her slipper, beautiful gold, with reddish-brown ribbons, and it turned into a beautiful orchid.

Lady's slipper: winter-hardy species

In many countries of the world, the orchid is called that - the lady's slipper is also called "cuckoo boots" and "cockerels", "cuckoo shoes", "Marin's slipper", "Virgin's boots". Thanks to the great Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus inspired by the myth, this species wears scientific name real cypripedium (Cypripedium calceolus) or lady's slipper. The generic name here comes from two ancient Greek words - “Kypros” (Cyprida, one of the names of Aphrodite, derived from the name of the temple in Cyprus dedicated to the goddess) and “pedale” - a slipper, shoe.

—
pretentiousness and grace are wonderfully combined in this flower, and bright, contrasting colors imperceptibly pass one into another.

According to another legend, it was like this. The goddess Venus, along with her beloved Adonis, hunted in the forest. But suddenly a thunderstorm began, and the lovers hid in a cave. And the goddess dropped her wet shoes at the entrance. They were noticed by a random traveler. He bent down to the wonderful shoes, wanted to pick them up, but the shoes turned into beautiful flowers. The man guessed that the gods were resting in the cave, and rather went away. And in the forests of Europe, a plant of extraordinary beauty has been growing since then - a real lady's slipper.

They also say this:
Once Venus wandered into the northern forests, and when she saw her dear guest, all the flowers and trees were terribly happy with her. Their outfit brightened immediately, and the sky cleared of gray clouds, and a curious sun immediately peeked out from behind the clouds. And the nightingale flew in from somewhere, began to praise the goddess of beauty, and Venus, tired and tired after a long journey, sat down on the lawn and threw off her shoes - let her feet rest ... when she went home, she forgot about her shoes, and they turned into a wonderful flower . People saw him, and called him: "Venus slipper."

The name “Venus slipper” is associated with a legend, which was retold in poetic form by the famous St. Petersburg scientist N.A. Kholodkovsky:

I am a lady's slipper, an incredible dandy, a yellow flower with a bow, very pleasant to everyone.
I - through the northern forests - a luxury without an example, and I swear I would not have bloomed there if not for Venus.
Once, when spring bloomed, full of joy, she wandered here from the shores of Hellas.
The whole temple of nature shone in beauty and strength, and the forests lifted their incense to the sky.
The nightingale sang, moaning, sweetly, tenderly, sweetly, and - then the goddess dropped me from my leg.
And, turning into a flower, in a smart dress, since then I have been king, like a prince, in this modest flora.

The lady's slipper is usually invested in neck amulets with talismans by hunters and rangers. It is believed that he has the ability to instantly stop any bleeding. And in general, protects the owner from diseases.

Wild orchids, which came to us from tropical Asian forests, are doubly valued: for their rarity and sensuality, for their elegance of form and capricious nature. The orchid venus slipper paphiopedilum is especially popular with flower growers, although it is inferior in price to its expensive American congener fragmipedium.

The common family of venus slippers includes 5 genera from the Orchid family, in addition to the two named also cypripedium, selenipedium and monotypic mexipedium. All of them have the same flower shape with a characteristic swollen lip, reminiscent of women's shoes.

In indoor floriculture, the paphiopedilum orchid, despite its capricious care, is much more common than other slippers. It has been known in culture for more than one and a half hundred years.

Origin and name

Natural species grow in tropical, monsoonal and subtropical climates South-East Asia in China, India, Nepal and the countries of Oceania. The name Paphiopedilum literally translates as "a slipper from Paphos", the hometown of Venus.

About the plant preserved beautiful legend- the beautiful goddess was in such a hurry to retire in the forest with her beloved Adonis that she lost her golden shoe. The loss was discovered by a hunter-commoner, bent down to pick it up, and she suddenly became a flower, graceful and unusually beautiful. Appearance Venus slipper, indeed, fascinates with grace and tenderness.

Lady's slipper description, or what paphiopedilum looks like

The roots of a healthy plant are brownish and covered with small villi, the tips are white during the period of active development. A shortened stem grows from the rhizome, on which a rosette of belt-shaped or broadly linear leaves, saturated green, in some species with a marble pattern, is formed by a symmetrical double-sided fan.

Each rosette blooms only once, forming a peduncle 4 to 60 cm long with one shoe, with the exception of the species victoria-regina, which has up to 30, but opens alternately. The flowers of the venus slipper in most species are large, bright, in red-yellow-greenish hues, especially the lip, which attracts pollinating insects with its catchy color and sweetish nectar on the inner walls.

Growing an orchid lady's slipper

Among Paphiopedilums, epiphytic species are rare. In nature, representatives of the genus grow, as a rule, in the litter of a tropical forest or as lithophytes - in rock crevices on humus, blown by the wind and washed up with precipitation. Therefore, in the room content, the plant needs to create conditions as close as possible to natural environment his habitat.

For growing a venus slipper, an opaque plastic or ceramic one is selected, commensurate with the root system. Transparent containers are also used, but only in order to control the condition of the roots and lower layers.

The plant is transplanted annually if it is young, or every 2-3 years, when one of the reasons is present:

• 8–10 or more rosettes have formed in the pot;
• a new shoot grew and grew stronger, and a desire arose to divide;
• after completion of flowering;
• the degree of salinity and decomposition of the substrate affects the general condition of the plant;
• in almost any of the above reasons - in the spring.

Some orchie growers partially replace in a pot after every 6-8 months.

Substrate composition

Pine bark is taken as the basis for substrates for paphiopedilums and peat soil for seedlings in a ratio of 3:1. As additional components, flower growers are used in small quantities. charcoal, coarse-grained river sand, perlite or expanded clay, coconut flakes instead of bark, sphagnum moss to retain moisture. The pH of the substrate for most paphiopedilums is desirable neutral or slightly acidic, with the exception of calceophils, who are used to growing on limestone rocks in nature.

Caring for an orchid lady's slipper

Paphiopedilum orchid, home care for which requires the daily presence of a grower and constant monitoring of its condition, is considered to be a rather whimsical and capricious flower.

Placement in the house, lighting and temperature conditions: what is important to remember

A suitable location for paphiopedilum is the windowsills of the northeast, northwest, east and west windows, although certain types successfully develop in the northern exposure. The room where the plant is kept is often ventilated, and in the summer it is moved to the garden.

The lady's slipper flower prefers diffused light, but at the same time withstands slight shading. Shade plant cannot be named.

With regard to the temperature preferences of paphiopedilum, flower growers disagree, but many still argue that conventionally venus shoes are divided into those requiring moderate maintenance at temperatures of 18–22 degrees and heat-loving, for which it is comfortable temperature regime- 25-30 degrees and above. General recommendations- 18–25 degrees in summer and permissible short-term drops in the off-season are not lower than 10 degrees and in the heat up to 33. Paphiopedilums do not observe a pronounced dormant period.

Watering and ambient humidity

During the active growing season, the lady's slipper plant is watered regularly and plentifully, however, without fail, arranging a short-term drying of the substrate. The flower is very afraid of stagnant water, it is easily affected by fungi, therefore, in caring for it key point it turns out to be the correct balanced watering, instantly changing with any deviations in the microclimate of the room.

Droplets of moisture that get inside the outlet during watering - the most vulnerable place for rot, are immediately blotted dry paper napkin. The same procedure is carefully performed after a warm shower.

The humidity of the ambient air for the shoe is preferably in the range from 60 to 80%. They increase it in a way convenient for flower growers - with special devices or arranging a room fountain, lay it on top of the sphagnum moss substrate without touching the root neck, and spray it twice a day from a spray bottle, and also place flower containers on a pallet with wet pebbles or expanded clay.

top dressing

The lady's slipper reacts painfully to excess, so they feed it no more than 2 times a month, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers for orchids, but diluting it in half the dose. Top dressing is carried out during the growing season, after flowering the plant rests and nutrients practically not needed.

How to care for a slipper during flowering

The formation of buds in most indoor venus slippers occurs at the end of autumn or the beginning of winter. With proper care and maintenance, the plant annually grows a new blooming rosette. A sign of readiness for flowering is the appearance of the so-called signal stop-leaf in the center of the rosette, small and tight, from the wings of which the top of the peduncle with a bud will soon appear.

However, it does not always mean that paphiopedilum will bloom. If there were no mistakes in the care of the previous year, the slipper will delight the orchid grower with a miracle flower, otherwise the stop list will remain empty, but you should not be completely upset - there is a high probability of a new outlet.

Attention! During the formation of a bud, it is not recommended to disturb the plant - rearrange it to another place, turn the pot around its axis. You should not change anything in your care at all!

At the end of flowering, the shoe needs rest. At this time, the ambient temperature drops to 15-20 degrees, watering is reduced and almost no top dressing is made. Only after "pecking" on the old rosette of new growth, the previous care resumes.

Reproduction of paphiopedilum at home

In room culture, shoes are propagated by dividing the bush. The seed method is used in greenhouse conditions, observing the requirements of absolute sterility. However, paphiopedilum varieties are subject only to vegetative propagation.

The division of the bushes is carried out during transplantation in the presence of more than 8-10 rosettes in a pot. The rhizome is cut in such a way that at least 3 rosettes remain on each of the divisions.

Often come across advertisements for the sale of shoes with 1 or 2 rosettes. Orchie growers with 20 years of experience claim that such divisions have no more than 40% chance of surviving, and even then in very rare cases with the most ideal care. The probability of flowering plants in the current and next year zero. IN best case if the slipper survives, it will grow a new outlet no earlier than 2–3 years, while it survives the stress of dividing the rhizome.

It is sometimes easier to buy a seedling and grow to an adult specimen than to leave a shoe after an unsuccessful division of the rhizome. However, paphiopedilum grown from seeds will bloom for 5 or 6 years.

Pests and diseases of shoes

Paphiopedilum orchid has extremely sensitive leaves and root system. Often there is a death of leaf plates. There are several reasons depending on the symptoms of this process:

• the leaf is first covered with yellowness, then it turns brown - a natural phenomenon;
• the top of the leaf becomes dark brown, almost black, then all brown creeps along the edge sheet plate, tapering to the central vein - the plant is overfed or affected by the fungus Glomerella cingulata,.

The fall of flowers that have not fully blossomed causes the mold fungus botrytis. Light brown spots initially appear on the petals and lip. The reason is the decrease in the night temperature in the room with high humidity air.

The root system of shoes as a result of waterlogging is affected by fusarium, rhizoctonia, late blight, and pitium.

Among the venus slippers, flatworm mites, or false spider mites, mealybugs and scale insects are most often noticed.

Types of Paphiopedilums

There are up to 80 species in the genus Paphiopedilum, but their number is constantly changing. The number of natural and artificial hybrids is also changeable, more than a thousand of them have been created. The most famous species in indoor and greenhouse floriculture are:

Pretty, or bellatulum - originally from Burma. The flowers are snow-white in crimson speckles with a circumference of about 8-10 cm, appear in April. Leaves are spotted.

Paphiopedilum Bellatulum (Pretty)

Apricot is a very late discovered species, in 1982, with showy sunny yellow flowers with an orange throat and spotted foliage.

Paphiopedilum armeniacum (Apricot)

Charming, or beautiful - comes from the Himalayas. It blooms at the end of winter with large single flowers about 15 cm in diameter. The lip is orange with greenish veins, the petals are in the same colors, dotted with distinct longitudinal stripes.

Paphiopedilum venustum (Adorable)

Snow-white - has a pleasant aroma. Leaves in marble patterns. The flowers are pure white, radiant, no more than 8 cm in circumference, bloom in summer. Extremely gentle, thermophilic and much less than other species, needs fertilizers.

Paphiopedilum niveum (Snow White)

Lawrence is the birthplace of the island of Borneo. Luxurious look with a chic flower 9-13 cm in circumference. The sail is white with longitudinal purple veins, the lip is cherry red. Blooms in spring.

Paphiopedilum lawrenceanum (Lawrence)

Coarse-haired - Indian species, blooms continuously from autumn to early or mid-spring. The upper petal is burgundy-brown, the edge is greenish-white, the side petals are ocher-chocolate, the lip is pale brown with reddish stains.

Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum (Rough-haired)

One-color, or concolor - common in southwestern China, in southeastern Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos. Flower up to 5.5–7 cm in diameter, cream or yellowish, rarely white or ecru, strewn with small purple peas.

Paphiopedilum concolor (Single color)

Wonderful - Himalayan species, blooms from September to February with greenish fragrant flowers.

paphiopedilum insigne (Wonderful)

Bearded - the parent of the first artificial hybrid, began to be grown in culture before other natural species. Foliage with an expressive marble pattern, flowers are painted in red-purple tones: a sail in burgundy stripes on a white background, a lip and side petals of a dark scarlet shade. Blooms in spring.

Paphiopedilum barbatum (Bearded)

Appleton is a large spring-flowering orchid with spotted leaves and a greenish-purple flower up to 10 cm in circumference, originally from Southeast Asia.

Paphiopedilum appletonianum (Appleton's)

Conclusion

Venus slippers - rare, disappearing in vivo plants. In each state where they grow in the wild, paphiopedilums are protected by the Red Book of the country or a certain region.

Wonderful orchids that have crossed half the world to settle in our house fall into the caring hands of the florist, able to groom, cherish and protect the amazing creation of nature, endowing the world with its charm and originality.