Orchid Information - Genus Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis Blume, Bijdr. (1825) 294

Synonyms:

• Genus Grafia A.D.Hawkes, Phytologia 13 (1966) 305
• Genus Polychilos Breda, Gen. Sp. Orchid. Asclep. (1) (1828) t. (1)
• Genus Polystylus Hasselt ex Hassk., Retzia (1855) 3
• Genus Stauritis Rchb.f., Hamburger Garten-Blumenzeitung 18 (1862) 34
• Genus Stauroglottis Schauer, Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 19
• Genus Synadena Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4 (1836) 9

Monopodial epiphytes, some continental Asian species leafless in the dry season. Stem very short. Leaves few, sheathing at the base, arranged in two rows, often broad, glabrous, deciduous, duplicate, leathery. Inflorescence lateral from the stem, a raceme or a panicle. Flowers often appearing in succession, small to large, resupinate, often showy. Sepals free. Petals free, sometimes similar to the dorsal sepal, but often distinctly broader or narrower. Lip with (Kingidium) or without spur, not mobile, distinctly lobed, with a bilobed or fringed callus at the base of the midlobe and often with a forked callus between the lateral lobes, the lateral lobes in addition with a simple callus on their lower half. Column-foot well-developed. Pollinia 2, incompletely cleft, or rarely 4, solid, caudicles absent, stipe present, viscidium present.

Species present in New Guinea:

Phalaenopsis amabilis

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