Paphiopedilum-- (Pfitzer 1886) is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) of approximately 77 species native to South China, India, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The genus name Paphiopedilum is derived from the Greek Paphos, a city on the island of Cyprus, and pedilon, slipper. Most species in this genus were previously considered part of the genus Cypripedium, but Paphiopedilum was accepted as the conserved (valid in use) name in 1959. Along with Phragmipedium, Cypripedium, Mexipedium, and Selenipedium, the Paphs are members of the subfamily Cypripedioideae, commonly referred to as the Lady’s or Venus’ Slipper Orchids -- so named for the unusual shape of the pouch (labellum) of the flower, which was said to resemble a lady’s slipper. The pouch functions by trapping insects so that they are forced to climb up past the staminode, behind which they collect or deposit pollinia. These sympodial orchids lack pseudobulbs. Instead they grow robust shoots, each with several leaves. These can be short and rounded or long and narrow, and typically have a mottled pattern. When older shoots die, newer ones take over. Each new shoot only blooms once when it is fully grown, producing a spike between the fleshy, succulent leaves. The roots are thick and fleshy. Potted plants form a tight lump of roots that, when untangled, can be up to one meter long. The Paphiopedilums are among the most widely cultivated and hybridized of orchid genera. Thousands of interspecific hybrids have been registered with the Royal Horticultural Society in London over the years. These orchids are relatively easy to grow indoors, as long as conditions that mimic their natural habitats are created. Most species thrive in moderate to high humidity (50 to 70 percent), moderate temperatures ranging from 55 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (13 to 35 degrees Celsius) and low light (around 1,200 to 2,000 foot-candles). Modern hybrids are typically easier to grow in artificial conditions than their parent species.