Phaius amboinensis Blume 1856

Plant and Flower Photos by © J B Comber and Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Website

Common Name The Amboin Phaius [refers to its original location]

Flower Size 1.6 to 2.8" [4 to 7 cm] or less

Found in Java, the Moluccas, Sulawesi, the Philippines, the Bismark Archipelago, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Northern Territories Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis & Futna, the Cook Islands and the Carolines in dense shade in swampy forests at elevations of 100 to 300 meters as a medium to large sized, hot growing terrestrial with 3 to 4, cylindrical to angular stems carrying 3 to 8, dark green, plicate leaves that blooms in the winter and spring on an erect, 12 to 36" [30 to 90 cm] long, 5 to 20 flowered inflorescence.

Synonyms Bletia amboinensis Zipp. ex Blume 1856; Phaius amboinensis var. papuanus (Schltr.) Schltr. 1912; Phaius graeffei Rchb.f. 1868; Phaius neocaledonicus Rendle 1921; Phaius papuanus Schltr. 1905; Phaius zollingeri Rchb.f. 1857

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1854 as Phajus zollingeri drawing; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1857 as Phajus zollingeri; Xenia Orchidaceae Vol 3 Reichenbach 1878 as Phajus graeffei; Otia Botanica Hamburgensia Rchb.f 1878 as Phajus graeffei; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Smith 1905; Die Orchideen Von Java Figuren Atlas J.J.Smith 1908 drawing fide; Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1912 drawing good; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Flore de la Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependences Vol 8 Orchidaceae Halle 1977 as P neocalenonicus drawing fide; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 15 881 - 944 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1984; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 15 881 - 944 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1984 as Phaius neocaledoniaicus; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 15 881 - 944 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1984 as P graefei; Orchids of Vanuatu Lewis & Cribb 1989 as P. amboinensis var papuanus drawing fide; Orchids of Java Comber 1990 photo not = P tenuis; The Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville Lewis & Cribb 1991 as P. amboinensis var papuana drawing/photo fide; Lowland Orchids of Papua New Guinea O'Byrne 1994 as P amboinensis var papuana; Native Orchids of New Caledonia Societe' Neo-Caledonienne D' Orchidophile 1995 as P neocaledonicus photo good; The Orchids of Samoa Cribb & Whistler 1996 as P terrestris drawing/photo fide; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; Native Australian Orchids Jones 2006 photo fide; Flora Malesiana: Orchids of New Guinea Vol 5 Schuiteman & D de Vogel 2008

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------