Phreatia vaginata Schltr. 1913 SECTION Phreatia

TYPE Drawing by Schlechter and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Sheathed Phreatia

Flower Size

Found in New Guinea on trees in forests at elevations around 1000 meters as a miniature to small sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with almost no stem carrying 4 to 6, erect to suberect, fleshy, linear, subacute, oblique with an apicule apically, carinate beneath leaves that blooms in the winter on an erect, peduncle 1.6 to 2.4" , few, large bracted, rachis elongate to 1 to 3.4" [2.5 to 8.5 cm] long, somewhat longer than the leaves, densely many flowered inflorescence with acuminate, equal to the flowers floral bracts.

Schlechter states that the flowers are greenish white. This species is very similar to P kaniensis, P loriae, P polyantha and P myriantha but this one does not dry black when preserved, has longer and larger sheaths, thicker leaves that are keeled [carinate] beneath.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1913 drawing fide

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