''Paphiopedilum barbigerum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Orchidaceae known commonly as the beard carrying paphiopedilum. It is native to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Vietnam, and Thailand. It is an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

due to habitat destruction and overcollection for the horticultural trade. This orchid grows in soil, on rocks, or on tree trunks in limestone habitat types. It produces 4 to 6 linear green leaves up to 19 centimeters long. It blooms in a single flower on a hairy brownish stalk. The flower is up to 8 centimeters wide. The dorsal sepal is white with a greenish or brownish spot at the base. The synsepal is pale green and the petals are brownish with pale edges. The

staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. ...

is yellow.''Paphiopedilum barbigerum''.
Flora of China. This species is pollinated by hoverflies, in particular ''

Allograpta javana ''Allograpta '' is a very large and diverse genus of hoverflies present throughout the world except most of the palearctic region. The adults are brightly coloured flower pollinators and most larvae have a predatory feeding mode involving soft-b ...

'' and ''

Episyrphus balteatus ''Episyrphus balteatus'', sometimes called the marmalade hoverfly, is a relatively small hoverfly (9–12 mm) of the Syrphidae family, widespread throughout the Palaearctic region, which covers Europe, North Asia, and North Africa. The upp ...

''.Shi, J., et al. (2009)
Pollination by deceit in ''Paphiopedilum barbigerum'' (Orchidaceae): a staminode exploits the innate colour preferences of hoverflies (Syrphidae).
''Plant Biology'', 11(1), 17-28.

Sources

barbigerum Orchids of China Orchids of Vietnam Orchids of Thailand Endangered plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Cypripedioideae-stub