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SUBFAMILY Epidendroideae, TRIBE Vandeae, SUBTRIBE Sarcanthinae. This is a vandanaceous genus comprised of 50, mostly epiphytic and some lithophytic species spread throughout most all of Asia east of India and the Pacfic to the Philippines and south to Australia. It is monopodial with large succulent, drooping leaves with short stems, giving rise off the stem from among the leaves to an inflorescence which can have a few to a hundred flowers with a distinct 3-lobed clawed lip. The parts of the Phalenopsis flower are, column {#1}, lateral lobe of labellum {#2}, mid lobe of the labellum {#3}, labellum {#4}, dorsal sepal {#5}, petals {#6}, lateral sepal {#7} They grow best in pots with a wood media or from wood slat baskets hung sideways with two wires. They like good air circulation and a minimum of light.

Phalaenopsis Species List

    The species list below was composed with information from the following sources.

    The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids by Alec Pridgeon. Published by the Timber Press

    The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species By Bechtel, Cribb and Launert, Published by The MIT Press

    A Guide to the Orchids Of the World By Hodgson, Paine, and Anderson Published by Angus

    species names that are synonyms of correct species are denoted with an ~.

    ~acutifolia - See P. sumatrana

    ~alboviolacea - See Kingidium deliciosum

    ~alcicornis -See P. sanderana

  1. amablis [Linn.]Blume
  2. - Queensland Australia through Indonesia and to the Philippines - Alt 0-1000m - Flowers at any time and can last up to 6 months - Epiphyte

    ~ambigua - See P. aphrodite

  3. amboinensis J.J.Sm.
  4. - Ambon Island and Celebes Island, Indonesia - Alt 80m - Flowers at any time - Uniformly warm and moist year round

    ~amethystina - See Kingidium deliciosum

    ~antennifera - See Doritis pulcherrima

  5. aphrodite Rchb.f.
  6. - Taiwan to Philippines - Alt 0-1000' - Flowers in winter and early spring - Primary and secondary forests as an epiphyte - easily confused with P. amablis
  7. appendiculata C.E.Carr
  8. - Pahang state, Malaya - Alt 18m - Epiphyte in small trees in forested lowlands -

    ~babuyana - See P. aphrodite

    ~barrii - See P. speciosa

    ~bella - See Kingidium deliciosum

  9. bellina Christenson
  10. ~boxallii - See P. mannii

    ~buyssoniana - See Doritis pulcherrima

  11. celebensis Sweet
  12. - Celebes Island - Flowers in Summer and Winter - Should always be kept moist

    ~celebica - See P. amablis

  13. cochlearis Holttum
  14. - Sarawak and Borneo - Alt 1500-2000' - Flowers in Spring and Summer - Growa lithophytically on limestone cliffs - Moist year round - Warm
  15. corningiana Rchb.f.
  16. - Borneo - Alt 457-610m - Flowers in Spring and Summer - Lithophyte on limestone cliffs or epiphyte near waterfalls on huge mossy trees - Intermediate
  17. cornu-cervi [Breda]Blume and Rchb.f.
  18. - Thailand, Burma, India, Indonesia and Malaya - Alt 0-300m - Flowers in Spring through Fall - Epiphyte

    ~cruciata - See P. maculata

    ~cumingiana - See P. corningiana

    ~curnowiana - See P. schilleriana

    ~decumbens - See P. parishii

    var lobbii - See P. lobbii

    ~deliciosa - See Kingidium deliciosum

    ~denevei - See Paraphalenopsis denevei

    ~denisiana - See P. fuscata

    ~denticulata - See P. pallens

    ~devriesiana - See P. cornu-cervi

  19. equestris [Schauer]Rchb.f.
  20. - Luzon Island Philippinesa to Taiwan - Alt 0-300m - Flowers at any time - Near streams in hot valleys - Epiphyte

    ~erubescens - See P. aphrodite

    ~esmeralda - See Doritis pulcherrima

  21. fasciata Rchb.f.
  22. - The Philippines - Alt 0-500m - epiphyte near rivers - Warm
  23. fimbriata J.J.Sm.
  24. - Java, Sarawak and Sumatra - Alt 800-1350m - Flowers in Spring - Lithophyte on limestone cliffs in moss or Epiphyte in trees with bright reflected, dappled light

    ~foerstermanii - See P. pallens

    ~forbesii - See P. viridis

    ~formosa, formosana, formosum - See P. aphrodite

    ~fugax - See Sarcochilus pallidus

  25. fuscata Rchb.f.
  26. - Thailand to Borneo and the Philippines - Alt 0-500m - Flowers in Spring and Summer- Epiphyte on trees near streams in shady forests

    ~fuscata x hurstleri - See P. kunstleri

  27. ~X gersenii [Teijs. & Binn]Rolfe
  28. - A natural hybrid between P. sumatrana and P. violacea
  29. gibbosa Sweet
  30. Laos and N and South Vietnam - Alt 500m - Flowers in March - Open forests as a epiphyte - cooler nights in winter with a dryer rest - intermediate
  31. gigantea J.J.Sm.
  32. - Sabah, Sarawak and Java - Alt 500' - Primeval forests - Large epiphyte - Flowers any time but mostly late Summer and early Spring

    ~gloriosa - See P. amablis

    ~grandiflora - See P. amablis

    ~hainanensis - See P. stobartiana

    ~hebe - See Kingidium deliciosum

  33. hieroglyphica [Rchb.f] Sweet
  34. - Philippines - Alt 0-200m - Flowers in Late Spring and Summer - Epiphyte - Warm grower

    ~hombronii - See P. amablis

    ~imperati - See P. speciosa

  35. inscriptiosinensis Fowlie
  36. - Central Sumatra - Alt 0-900m - Small epiphyte on forest trees
  37. X intermedia Lindley
  38. - a Natural hybrid between P. equestris and P. amablis
  39. javanica J.J.Sm.
  40. - Java - Alt 0-700m - Flowers in Spring Fall and Winter - Epiphyte

    ~kimballiana - See P. reichenbachiana

  41. kunstleri Hkr.f.
  42. - Burma and Malaya, Perak state - Alt 300-1800m - Flowers in Spring and Summer - Intermediate to warm grower - epiphyte
  43. lamelligera Sweet
  44. - Borneo - Type specimen is the only known plant

    ~latisepala - See P. javanica

    ~laycockii - See Paraphalenopsis laycockii

  45. x leucorrhoda Rchb.f.
  46. - A natural hybrid between P. aphrodite and P. schilleriana although the parents habitats are hundreds of miles apart
  47. lindenii Lohreiro
  48. - Luzon Island Philippines - Alt 1524m or higher - Flowers in all months other than Feb, Mar and Apr.- epiphyte - Intermediate

    ~listeri - See P. lobbii

  49. lobbii Sweet
  50. - Eastern himalayas in Bhutan and Sikkim and Assam - Alt 1200-1500' - Flowers in Winter - Epiphyte -
  51. lowii Rchb.f.
  52. - Borneo and Burma - Alt 0-50m - Warm - Flowers in Fall - Lithophyte on Limestone rocks with full morning sun and afternoon shade or epiphytes on brasnches of small bushes rootesd in rock crevasses
  53. lueddemanniana Rchb.f.
  54. - Philippines - Alt 90-200' - Flowers at any time - Epiphyte

    var pallens - See P. pallens

    var pulchra - See P. pulchra

    luteola - See P. pantherina

  55. maculata Rchb.f.
  56. - Borneo - Alt 800-3000' - Flowers in Summer - Lithophyte on Limestone hills in the shade on moist bare rocks or as an epiphyte at the base of moss covered trees
  57. mannii Rchb.f.
  58. - India and Vietnam - Alt 1500' - Flowers in spring, summer and late winter - epiphyte on rough barked trees near forest streams with dense undergrowth giving rise to high humidity and dark shade
  59. mariae Burbage ex Warner & Williams
  60. - Borneo to the Philippines - Alt 2000' - Flowers in all months other than Nov and Dec.- Epiphyte on tree trunks and branches always in dense shade

    ~ mastersii - See Doritis mastersii

  61. micholitzii Rolfe
  62. - Philippines - Alt 0-1500ft - Rare
  63. modesta J.J.Sm.
  64. - Borneo - Alt 1200' - Small epiphyte

    ~musicola - See P. maculata

  65. mysorensis Saldanha
  66. - Southern India - Alt 3000' - Flowers in December - Epiphyte - Intermediate

    ~ochracea - See P. lueddemanniana

  67. pallens [Lindl]Rchb.f.
  68. - Philippines - Alt 0-1500' - Flowers from Sept-Apr - Dwarf epiphyte
  69. pantherina Rchb.f.
  70. - Indonesia - Cool grower - Lithophyte on moss covered rocks near gushing mountain streams - Flowers in May and June -
  71. parishii Rchb.f.
  72. - Himalayas India and Burma - Flowers in Late winter spring and early summer - Epiphyte on moss covered trees on branches overhanging streams - Hot grower

    var lobbii - See P. lobbii

  73. philippinense Golamco ex Fowlie and Tang
  74. - Philippines - Flowers at any time - Epiphyte on tall trees near streams

    ~pleihary - See P. amablis

    ~proboscidiodes - See P. lowii

    ~psilantha - See P. amboinensis

    ~pulcherrima - See Doritis pulcherrima

  75. pulchra [Rchb.f.]Sweet
  76. - Luzon Philippines - Alt 4500' - Flowers in May-Sept - Epiphyte on east facing mountain slopes - intermediate to cool

    ~regnierana - See Doritis regnierana

  77. reichenbachiana Rchb.f. & Sander
  78. - Philippines - Light shade - Rare

    ~rimestadiana - See P. amablis

    ~riteiwanensis - See P. equestris

  79. robinsonii J.J.Sm.
  80. - Ambon Island - Found only in 1913 and never again to date - Rare

    ~rosea - See P. equestris

    ~rosenstromii - See P. amablis

    ~ruckerana - See Sarcochilus pallidus

    ~ruckeri - See Sarcochilus pallidus

  81. sanderana Rchb.f.
  82. - Philippines, Mindanao Island - Alt 0-1500ft - Free flowering - Epiphyte
  83. schillerana Rchb.f.
  84. - Luzon Island Philippines - Alt 0-1500ft - flowers anytime other than Sept. - Medium to Large Epiphyte on high branches and high up on trunks

    ~serpentilingua - See Paraphalenopsis serpentilingua

    ~simonsei - See Paraphalenopsis serpentilingua

  85. speciosa Rchb.f.
  86. - Endemic to Nicobar Island - Alt 0-50ft - Flowered May-Oct - epiphyte on mangroves in muddy swamp - Extinct from over collecting
  87. stobartiana Rchb.f.
  88. - China and Burma - Alt 300ft - Flowers in July - Epiphyte on large tree branches over streams in warm dense forest - Has more roots than leaves and can be deciduous
  89. stuartiana Rchb.f.
  90. -Philippines - Alt 0-1500ft - Flowers in All months other than June and Oct - Usually found near water and often near enough to sea water to get salt spray as an epiphyte - warm and moist year round
  91. sumatrana Korth & Rchb.f.
  92. - Malaysia, Java, Borneo, Thailand and Sumatra - Flowers in Feb-Nov - Epiphye in trees near water in shady nooks

    ~tetraspis - See P. speciosa

    ~X thorntonii - See Paraphalenopsis x thorntonii

  93. X veitchiana Rchb.f.
  94. - A Natural hybrid between P. equestris and P. schillerana
  95. venosa Shim & Fowlie
  96. - Central Celebes, Indonesia - Alt 3000ft - Flowers in Aug-Nov - Epiphyte - Cool grower

    ~vestalis - See P. schillerana

  97. violacea Witte
  98. - Borneo and Sumatra - Alt 0-300ft - Flowers in May-Nov - Warm grower - Epiphyte on large shade trees near lowland rivers
  99. viridis J.J.Sm.
  100. -Sumatra - Alt 2600ft - Flowers in April - Epiphyte on low tree trunks in dark nooks or lithophyte on limestone rocks - Intermediate to warm -

    ~wightii - See Kingidium deliciosum

    ~ var stobartiana - see P. stobartiana

  101. wilsonii Rolfe
  102. - China - Alt 4920-7052ft - Flowers in April - Cool to cold grower

    ~zebrina - see P. sumatrana

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