Orchidaceae

Paphiopedilum

Paphiopedilum insigne (Wall. ex Lindl.) Pfitzer

First published in Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. 19: 159 (1888)

This species is accepted

The native range of this species is Assam (Meghalaya) to China (NW. Yunnan) and Myanmar. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Distribution
Synonyms
Classification
Publications
Other data

Doubtfully present in:

Bangladesh

Native to:

Assam, China South-Central, Myanmar

Homotypic Synonyms

Cordula insignis (Wall. ex Lindl.) Raf. in Fl. Tellur. 4: 46 (1838)
Cypripedium insigne Wall. ex Lindl. in Coll. Bot.: t. 32 (1824)

Heterotypic Synonyms

Cypripedium albomarginatum Van Geert in Nursery Cat. (Auguste Van Geert) 83: 11 (1882)
Cypripedium chantinii T.Moore & Mast. in Gard. Chron., n.s., 18: 750 (1882)
Cypripedium insigne var. albomarginatum (Van Geert) Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 57 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. amesianum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 239 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne var. amoenum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 57 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. aureoalbum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 240 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne barrii Pitcher & Manda in Proc. Annual Conv. Soc. Amer. Florists 8: 82 (1892)
Cypripedium insigne var. biflorum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 58 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne boiesianum Pitcher & Manda in Proc. Annual Conv. Soc. Amer. Florists 8: 82 (1892)
Cypripedium insigne var. chantinii Rolfe in Rev. Hort. (Paris) 37: 249 (1866)
Cypripedium insigne var. colosianum Herr. in Gard. & Forest 10: 5 (1897)
Cypripedium insigne var. cypheri Pynaert in Nursery Cat. (Éd. Pynaert - Van Geert) 1889-1890: 8 (1889)
Cypripedium insigne var. duvalii Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 245 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne var. elegantissimum Pucci in Cypripedium: 113 (1891)
Cypripedium insigne var. eyermannianum Herr. in Gard. & Forest 10: 5 (1897)
Cypripedium insigne var. forstermanii Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 58 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. giganteum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 249 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne var. gracile Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 59 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. gravesianum Pitcher & Manda in Proc. Annual Conv. Soc. Amer. Florists 8: 81 (1892)
Cypripedium insigne var. holzhausenianum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 251 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne var. kimballianum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 60 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. madouxianum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 256 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne var. maulei Blandy & Rosher in Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 1: 396 (1860)
Cypripedium insigne var. maulei-superbum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 257 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne var. maximum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 61 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. mcfaddenii Pitcher & Manda in Proc. Annual Conv. Soc. Amer. Florists 8: 82 (1892)
Cypripedium insigne var. moensii Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 61 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. mooreanum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 62 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. nilsonii Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 62 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. pynaertii Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 263 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne robinsonianum Pitcher & Manda in Proc. Annual Conv. Soc. Amer. Florists 8: 82 (1892)
Cypripedium insigne var. rubrum-maculatum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 63 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. rubrum-marginatum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 63 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. sanderae Rchb.f. in Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 4: 692 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. sanderianum Rolfe in Orchid Rev. 1: 145 (1893)
Cypripedium insigne var. savageanum Pitcher & Manda in Proc. Annual Conv. Soc. Amer. Florists 8: 82 (1892)
Cypripedium insigne var. speciosum Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 267 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne var. sylhetense Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 64 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. tresederi Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped., ed. 2: 269 (1898)
Cypripedium insigne var. veitchianum Rob. in J. Soc. Centr. Hort. France, sér. 2, 8: 589 (1874)
Cypripedium insigne var. wallacei Desbois in Monogr. Cypriped.: 64 (1888)
Cypripedium insigne var. wrightianum Pitcher & Manda in Proc. Annual Conv. Soc. Amer. Florists 8: 82 (1892)
Cypripedium maulei T.Moore & Mast. in Gard. Chron., n.s., 18: 750 (1882)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. albomarginatum (Van Geert) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. amesianum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. amoenum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. aureoalbum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. biflorum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. chantinii (Rolfe) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. cypheri (Pynaert) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. duvalii (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. elegantissimum (Pucci) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. forstermanii (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. giganteum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. gracile (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. holzhausenianum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. kimballianum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. madouxianum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. maulei (Blandy & Rosher) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. maximum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. moensii (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. mooreanum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. nilsonii (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. pynaertii (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. rubrum-maculatum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. rubrum-marginatum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. sanderae (Rchb.f.) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne f. sanderae (Rchb.f.) O.Gruss & Roeth in Caesiana 12: 62 (1999)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. sanderianum (Rolfe) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne f. sanderianum (Rolfe) O.Gruss & Roeth in Caesiana 12: 60 (1999)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. speciosum (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. sylhetense (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. tresederi (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum insigne var. wallacei (Desbois) Pfitzer in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 50(Heft 12): 74 (1903)
Paphiopedilum macfarlanei Fr.Mey. in Gartenflora 83: 93 (1934)

Kingdom Plantae
Phylum Streptophyta
Class Equisetopsida
Subclass Magnoliidae
Order
Asparagales

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Family
Orchidaceae

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Genus
Paphiopedilum

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Species
Paphiopedilum insigne

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POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Monocotyledons Database in ACCESS: 1-71827. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Khanam, M. & al. (2001). Our present knowledge on the Terrestrial Orchidaceae. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 8(2): 35-49.
Koopowitz, H. (2012). An updated, annotated checklist of the genus Paphiopedilum. Orchid Digest 76: 178-215.
Lucksom, S.Z. (2007). The orchids of Sikkim and North East Himalaya: 1-984. S.Z.Lucksom, India.
Manilal, K.S. & Kumar, C.S. (eds.) (2004). Orchid Memories A tribute to Gunnar Seidenfaden: 1-265. Mentor Books, Calicut.
Wu, Z. & Hong, D. (eds.) (2009). Flora of China 25: 1-570. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Kew Backbone Distributions

Khanam, M. & al. (2001). Our present knowledge on the Terrestrial Orchidaceae. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy 8(2): 35-49.
Ormerod, P., Kurzweil, H. & Watthana, S. (2021). Annotated List of Orchidaceae for Myanmar. Phytotaxa 481: 1-262.
Wu, Z. & Hong, D. (eds.) (2009). Flora of China 25: 1-570. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Cypripedioideae: e-monocot.org

Lindley, J. Original description of Paphiopedilum insigne. 19, (1888).

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

IPNI - The International Plant Names Index

Date	Reference	Identified As	Barcode	Type Status	Has image?
Dec 3, 1975	Hooker, J.D.; Thomson, T. [313] India		K000363765	Unknown Type Material	Yes
	United Kingdom		K:SPC-19515.000		No
			K:SPC-19518.000		No
	Silva, F.de [7022] Indian Subcontinent		K000363763	Type	Yes
	India		K:SPC-19516.000		No
			K:SPC-22238.000		No
	Griffith, W. [s.n.] India		K000363762	Unknown Type Material	Yes
			K:SPC-20358.000		No
			K:SPC-22316.000		No
			K:SPC-37648.000		No
			K:SPC-43854.000		No
	s.coll. [s.n.]		K:SPC-65242.000		No
			K:SPC-37356.000		No
	Hooker, J.D. [1] Indian Subcontinent		K000363764	Unknown Type Material	Yes
	Griffith, W. [s.n.] India		K000363761	Unknown Type Material	Yes
	De Silva, F. [Cat. no. 7022] Bangladesh	Cypripedium insigne	K000639684	Unknown Type Material	Yes
		Paphiopedilum insigne f. sanderianum	K:SPC-45528.000		No

Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1
- Angiosperm Threat Predictions
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
- 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
- Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
IUCN Categories
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
Kew Backbone Distributions
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
- The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
- © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Kew Science Photographs
- Copyright applied to individual images

Paphiopedilum insigne (Wall. ex Lindl.) Pfitzer

Distribution

Doubtfully present in:

Native to:

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

Kew's Tree of Life Explorer

Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

Kew Backbone Distributions

Cypripedioideae: e-monocot.org

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

IPNI - The International Plant Names Index

Sources

Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

Cypripedioideae: e-monocot.org

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

IUCN Categories

Kew Backbone Distributions

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

Kew Science Photographs

Paphiopedilum insigne (Wall. ex Lindl.) Pfitzer

Distribution

Doubtfully present in:

Native to:

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

Kew's Tree of Life Explorer

Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

Kew Backbone Distributions

Cypripedioideae: e-monocot.org

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

IPNI - The International Plant Names Index External Link

Herbarium Catalogue (17 records)

Sources

Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

Cypripedioideae: e-monocot.org

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

IUCN Categories

Kew Backbone Distributions

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

Kew Science Photographs

IPNI - The International Plant Names Index