ORCHIDACEAE
Phalaenopsis Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 294 (1825).
Doritis Lindl.; Kingidium P.F.Hunt; Ornithochilus (Lindl.) Wall. ex Benth.
By: Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti
Taxon Description
Epiphytic, monopodial herbs. Roots flattened, fibrous. Stems reduced, leafy, covered in overlapping persistent sheaths. Leaves fleshy, base contracted into a petiole-like stalk. Inflorescences erect to laxly pendulous, axillary, racemes or panicles; floral bracts persistent or not. Flowers widely opening. Sepals free, spreading, lateral sepals often oblique and larger than dorsal sepal. Petals free, spreading, similar to sepals but smaller in size. Lip 3-lobed or sometimes contracted near middle to form epichile and hypochile, base clawed, adnate with column foot, saccate or rarely very shortly spurred; lateral lobes erect, usually with callus; mid-lobe often oblong-elliptic, with callus, margin hairy or not. Column stout, without wings, with a foot. Pollinia 2 or 4, stipe spatulate and viscidium elliptic. Fruit an oblong capsule.
Taxon Statistics
Worldwide 79 species, distributed in East Asia, South Asia and South East Asia. Four species in Nepal.
Key to Species
1a Stem reduced or indistinct. Inflorescence racemose, flowers pink with a purple lip….………………………………………………………………..…………4. P. taenialis
b Stem distinct. Inflorescence paniculate (sometimes racemose in P. mannii), flowers white or yellowish green with dark brown spots and striations ..2
2a Stem 2–4 cm. Lip divided into epichile and hypochile, mid-lobe lobulate, spur present………………………………………..……………………………….1. P. difformis
b Stem less than 2 cm. Lip 3-lobed, mid-lobe reniform or anchor-shaped, spur absent ………………………………………………………………………………………………3
3 a. Peduncle bracts broadly ovate. Flower white with brown flushed on lip.…………..………………………………………………………..………………………….3. P. parishii
b Peduncle bracts lanceolate. Flower yellowish green with flushed white and pink spots on lip. Sepals…………………………………….……………….2. P. mannii
1. Phalaenopsis difformis (Wall. ex Lindl.) Kocyan & Schuit., Phytotaxa 161: 67 (2014).
Aerides difformis Wall. ex Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. 242 (1833); Ornithochilus difformis (Wall. ex Lindl.) Schltr.
Plants 25–33 cm tall. Roots flattened, fibrous. Stems distinct, 2–4 cm, sheathed. Petiole 5–6 mm. Leaves obliquely obovate, 9–12 × 2.5–4.5 cm, apex acute. Inflorescences paniculate, 15–21 cm; peduncle 3–4 cm; rachis 9–18 cm, 9–24-flowered. Peduncle bracts tubular, 3–6 × 2–3 mm, apex obtuse. Floral bracts triangular, 2 × 1 mm, apex acute. Flowers sepals and petals yellowish green with red-brown striations, lip maroon with yellow markings at base; 7–10 mm across, widely opening. Pedicel and ovary 12–17 mm. Dorsal sepal oblong, 3–5 × 2 mm, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate-oblong, 3–5 × 2.5 mm, apex obtuse. Petals narrowly oblong, 3–4 × 1–1.5 mm, apex obtuse. Lip 3-lobed; lateral lobes subovate, 3–4 × 2 mm; mid-lobe ca. 2.5–4 × 2 mm, 3-lobulate, apex obtuse, margins fimbriate; disk with a callus. Spur cylindric, slightly curved, 3–4.5 mm. Column 2–2.5 mm. Fruit oblong, 20 × 4 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, W Himalaya, Assam-Burma, E Asia and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1400–1800 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks in open woodlands and forests.
Flowering: June–July. Fruiting: August–October.
2. Phalaenopsis mannii Rchb.f., Gard. Chron. 1871: 902 (1871).
Polychilos mannii (Rchb.f.) Shim.
Plants 10–28 cm tall. Roots flattened, fibrous. Stems distinct, 1–2 cm, sheathed. Petiole 5–10 mm. Leaves oblong-oblanceolate, 10–18 × 2.5–5 cm, apex acute. Inflorescences racemose or sometimes paniculate, 18–28 cm; peduncle 4–20 cm, rachis 3–15 cm, 2–20-flowered. Peduncle bracts braodly ovate, 2–3 × 2.5 mm, apex obtuse. Floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 5–7 × 2 mm, apex acute to acuminate. Flowers yellowish green with flushed white and pink spots on lip, 3–4 cm across, widely opening. Pedicel and ovary 2–3 cm. Dorsal sepal obovate-lanceolate, 14–15 × 7 mm, apex acute. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate-elliptic, 14–17 × 10 mm, apex acute. Petals suboblong, 10–11 × 4–5 mm, apex acute. Lip 3-lobed; lateral lobes oblong-subquadrate, 3.5–4 × 2–2.5 mm, obliquely truncate; mid-lobe anchor-shaped, 5–5.5 × 4 mm, margin apex a swollen knob with sparse trichomes, fimbriate-erose; disk with triseriate callus. Spur absent. Column 6–8 mm. Fruit oblong, 40–50 × 5–7 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma and E Asia and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 150–600 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks in tropical broad-leaved forests.
Flowering: March–May. Fruiting: June–October.
3. Phalaenopsis parishii Rchb.f., Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 23: 146 (1865).
Doritis parishii (Rchb.f.) T.Yukawa & K.Kita; Phalaenopsis decumbens (Griff.) Holttum
Plants 10–16 cm tall. Roots flattened, fibrous. Stems distinct, 0.5–1 cm, sheathed. Petiole 5–10 mm. Leaves broadly elliptic, 5–10 × 2–3.5 cm, apex acute. Inflorescences paniculate, 10–14 cm; peduncle 5–10 cm, rachis 2–3 cm, 2–4-flowered. Peduncle bracts lanceolate, 3–4 × 1–2 mm, apex acute. Floral bracts lanceolate, ca. 2 × 1 mm, apex acute. Flowers white flushed brown on lip, 7–10 mm across, widely opening. Pedicel and ovary 5–7 mm. Dorsal sepal oblong-elliptic, 7–10 × 5 mm, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate-triangular, 6–8 × 6 mm, apex obtuse. Petals subspatulate, 6–8 × 4 mm, apex rounded. Lip 3-lobed; lateral lobes falcately ligulate, ca. 4–5 × 2 mm, apex acute; mid-lobe reniform, 5–7 × 3–4 mm, apex rounded-obtuse, margin entire; disk with ligulate callus. Spur absent. Column 4–5 mm. Fruit oblong, 30–40 × 3–4 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, Assam-Burma and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 200–500 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks in tropical woodlands and forests.
Flowering: May–June. Fruiting: July–October.
4. Phalaenopsis taenialis (Lindl.) Christenson & Pradhan, Indian Orchid J. 1: 154 (1985).
Aerides taenialis Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl. 239 (1833); Biermannia taenialis (Lindl.) Tang & F.T. Wang; Doritis taenialis (Lindl.) Benth ex Hook.f.; Kingidium taeniale (Lindl.) P.F.Hunt
Plants 4–6 cm tall. Roots flattened, fibrous. Stems reduced (indistinct). Petiole 5–10 mm. Leaves suboblong, 1–13 × 1–4 cm, apex subacute. Inflorescence racemose, 4–6 cm; peduncle 2–4 cm; rachis 2–3 cm, 1–10-flowered. Peduncle bracts 2–4 × 1–2 mm, apex obtuse to subacute. Floral bracts ovate-triangular, 2–3 × 1 mm, apex acute. Flowers sepals and petals pale pink, lip purple; 10–15 mm, widely opening. Pedicel and ovary 10–15 mm. Dorsal sepal oblong, 8–10 × 4–5 mm, apex obtuse. Lateral sepals subelliptic, 8–9 × 4–5 mm, apex obtuse. Petals obovate, 8–10 × 4–5 mm, apex rounded. Lip 3-lobed; lateral lobes subfusiform, 5 × 1 mm, apex subtruncate; mid-lobe spatulate, ca. 7 × 3 mm, apex rounded, margin entire; disk with biseriate callus. Spur cylindric-conical, ca. 3 mm. Column 4–5 mm. Fruit oblong, 40–70 × 5–8 mm.
Distribution: Nepal, E Himalaya, W Himalaya, Assam-Burma, Tibetan Plateau, E Asia, S Asia and SE Asia.
Altitudinal range: 1100–2300 m.
Ecology: Epiphytic on tree trunks in evergreen woodlands and forests.
Flowering: June–July. Fruiting: September–October.