On December 3, 2022, the judges from Houston Judging Center went to the Louisiana Short Course in Lafayette, where we heard talks about Dendrobiums (by our own Laurie Skov) and Broughtonia and other orchids from Jamaica (by Philip Hamilton of Bredren Orchids in Florida). We granted two awards—a two-flowered Paphiopedilum spicerianum owned by Meta Flanagin; and a rarely seen, charming miniature plant, Paphiopedilum vejvarutianum, bearing a large bloom about 3 1/2 inches wide, owned by HOS member Brent Arnspiger:

Paphiopedilum spicerianum ‘Memoria Cornelia Soprano,’ HCC 78, presented by Meta Flanagin.

Two upright flowers on two 25.8-cm inflorescences; dorsal sepal white, apple green proximally, strong mid-line burgundy; synsepal apple green; petals apple green, mid-line burgundy, spotting light burgundy, superior margin undulate; pouch apple green, overlaid blush burgundy, pouch interior intensely spotted burgundy; staminode white, burgundy ring, yellow centrally; substance firm; texture waxy.

Paphiopedilum vejvarutianum ‘Arnspiger,’ AM 81, presented by Brent Arnspiger.

One well-balanced flower on one staked 29-cm inflorescence; dorsal sepal hooded, white, suffused chartreuse proximal half, flushed and veined rose centrally on proximal two-thirds, overlaid brown basally; synsepal elliptic, margin undulate, white, suffused and veined chartreuse proximal two-thirds; petals oblanceolate, slightly cupped, margins undulate, hirsute basally, chartreuse, flushed and veined brown in a reticulated pattern; pouch chartreuse, flushed and veined light brown, interior stippled brown, hirsute basally; staminode deltoid, chartreuse, finely stippled brown, raised callus yellow; substance firm; texture waxy.