Phaius pulchellus Kraenzl. 1881 Photo by © Lourens Grobler

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Common Name The Charming Phaius

Flower Size 2 1/2" [6.25 cm]

Found in Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion Island in damp, evergreen forests at elevations of 700 to 1800 meters as a medium to large sized, warm to cool growing terrestrial or epiphyte with 2 to 3, the oldest green & discoid, the newest enveloped by sheaths, cauliform pseudobulbs carrying 3 to 4, narrowly lanceolate, acute, plicate, undulate margined, longly acuminate at both ends, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the late spring and summer on an erect, longer than the leaves, 16 to 32" [40 to 80 cm] long, peduncle enveloped by 3 to 4 basal sheaths and several sterile bracts becoming caducous above, rachis 4 to 8" [10 to 20 cm] long, loose, 12 to 15 flowered inflorescence with very caducous, lanceolate, very acute, as long as to a bit longer than the pedicel and carrying very large, variable colored flowers.

Synonyms Phaius pulchellus var. ambrensis Bosser 1971; Phaius pulchellus var. andrambovatensis Bosser 1971; Phaius pulchellus var. sandrangatensis Bosser 1971

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; flora of madagascar Perrier 1939/81 drawing fide; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 15 881 - 944 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1984; photo ok; Orchids of Madagascar Hermans 2007 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009 photo fide; Les Orchidees de Madagascar Bosser & Lecoufle 2015 photo fide; Les Orchidees de Madagascar Bosser & Lecoufle 2015 as P pulchellus var ambrensis photo fide; Les Orchidees de Madagascar Bosser & Lecoufle 2015 as P pulchellus var andrambovatensis photo fide; A la Recherche des Orchidees de Madagascar Hervouet 2018 photo fide;

Phaius pulchellus var. sandrangatensis Bosser 1991

Photo by © Lourens Grobler.

Found in central to south eastern Madagascar in humid evergreen forests at elevations of 500 to 1000 meters as a medium to large sized, hot to warm growing terrestrial and blooms in the summer

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Madagascar Hermans 2007 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Madagascar Cribb & Herman 2009 photo fide; Les Orchidees de Madagascar Bosser & Lecoufle 2015 photo fide;

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