Good thinking Gene, you could be right. Wildcatt lists Paph Transcolor
as 50% concolor, 25% rothschildianum, and 25% chamberlainianum.
Concolor is of course calcicolous and rothschildianum is not. I had to
look up the 3rd ancestor. I found this web site:
http://www.angelfire.com/or3/orchids...hlopetalum.htm which
contains this quote:

"Growing on limestone cliff faces near running creeks, and in water
seepage zones, it sought thick pads of humus and leaf detritus which had
accumulated against tree roots. While growing in limestone, Fowlie notes
they should not be cultivated on limestone chips, as the cooler water of
our temperate climates would allow greater dissolution of the limestone
particles, possibly furnishing toxic levels of calcium to the plants.
Naturally it receives bright but not direct sunlight."

I guess Transcolor is mostly calcicolous and should be supplemented with
lime in some form. I use a top dressing of crushed oyster shell, myself.

Steve in the Adirondacks of northern NY






Gene Schurg wrote:
Germ,

Interesting problem! You say that the roots are healthy and growing which
is the first suspect in a mystery such as this.

5 inch pot sounds a bit large but you didn't state the leaf spread so I
can't say for sure. But since the roots are growing well I assume this is
not the issue.

You mention the larger leaves are dropping and new smaller ones are
replacing them. I see this when a plant gets too much light and is
stressed. Doesn't sound like light is your issue since you moved the plant
under lights and before that it was in an east window. Hmmmm (could it be
the butler in the library with the candlestick?)

What a mystery....maybe it's the potting mix? no, you said you are using it
for other paphs.

Maybe the plant needs something you're not giving it? Is this one of the
paphs that need calcium in the mix? If this is the case the change of mix
would explain why it grew for a while and then started to fail. Check the
plant's parentage and see if it has calcelious (I can't spell) .....parents
that need calcium in their mix to enable them to take up nutrients.

Let us know what you find out.

Good Growing,
Gene






"germ" wrote in message
m...

I have a Paph. Transcolor that has not been growing well for a year
and a half. It was in a bark mix in a 5in plastic pot until 6 months
ago, repooted 6 months before that. I now have it in a coconut husk
mix in a 5 inch clear pot. The coconut mix is the one that I use for
all of my Paphs. ala Antec

The roots look good, they have grown since repotting. I tapped out
some of the mix and the roots are firm and fuzzy like they should be.
The three crowns of the plant have continued to grow, but they have
lost larger outer leaves in favor of smaller inner ones. The leaves
are waxy and small and light colored and they keep growing and the
outer ones keep falling!

This is a picture of the flowers and leaves of the second blooming
after I purchased it. (It was purchased in bloom, it bloomed again 6
months later, and then this blooming, its last in two years.)

http://members.verizon.net/~vze4xcmt...transcolor.jpg

I grew it in an east window indoors up until this fall. I tried
moving it under lights with the rest of my collection to see if that
would help, still no signs of improvement.

Thanks,
Jim