The lush and verdant hills of Penang are home to a plethora of flora and fauna, which have enthused many naturalists over the generations. Much like some local fauna which have inspired awe and popular appeal, certain species of flora too have aroused fascination and intrigue. In Penang, it is the native orchid, Paphiopedilum barbatum, or commonly called the Penang slipper orchid. Mention it to any serious plant enthusiast and they would brim with excitement. The exotic appearance of this orchid has given it a “celebrity status”; it features on the logo of the Friends of Penang Botanic Gardens Society (FoPBGS) and appears prominently in any brochure or book describing the flora of Penang Hill.
Slipper orchids belong to the subfamily of orchids called Cypripedioideae, which is distributed across several continents, consisting of five genera, of which only one, Paphiopedilum, occurs in Peninsular Malaysia (East Malaysia is treated separately as it has distinct floristic components).
