Paphiopedilum venustum

Sometimes referred to as the "Brain Pouch Paphiopedilum" for obvious reasons, the Slipper Orchid is from Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India and Nepal.  It is also desirable for its beautiful foliage, a rather uncommon feature in orchids.  The flowers are not large but it is easy to grow and blooms faithfully on every new growth.  My plant is grown on a windowsill in moderate light and in a bark mix.

Paphiopedilum venustum

I don't grow a lot of Paphiopedilums, but only for lack of space.  I find their variety and strange forms very attractive, and Paph. venustum represents all that I love about them.  It is a smallish plant with beautifully mottled leaves, as is evident in some of the photos, and has one of the most beautiful pouches in the genus, a lovely green with darker green veining.

The plant grows well for me on a bathroom windowsill where it receives diffused light from a southern exposure and it blooms faithfully every year.  The fan of leaves is about 30 cm across and the single-flowered spikes are a little less than 30 cm tall.  On my plant the petals are strongly reflexed, making the flowers look like they are flying.