Together, the genus name and specific epithet comprise the species name, and often impart a bit of information. Some species may exhibit certain characteristics with additional variation which a taxonomist may recognize by assigning a subspecies, varietal or form name. These begin with a lower-case letter, are in italics and are the third name in sequence. The flowers of Phragmipedium besseae are typically red, but a variant with yellow flowers has been named Phragmipedium besseae var. The Names of Hybrids A major attraction of orchids is the diversity of hybrids available to growers.
Hybrids have names, too.
When a hybrid is made, the breeder, or his or her representative, assigns a grex or group name that applies to all of the hybrid progeny. A grex name begins with a capital letter and is in Roman type. When Paphiopedilum niveum was crossed with Paphiopedilum tonsum , all progeny were given the name Paphiopedilum Olivia. Since this cross was registered in 1898, some plants with exceptionally fine flowers have been observed and assigned cultivar names to distinguish them. When researching Paph .