Phalaenopsis malipoensis Z.J.Liu & S.C.Chen 2005 SUBGENUS Parishianae [Sweet] Christensen 2001

Photo by © Philip Wojtas and his Flicker Orchid Photo Site

Common Name The Ma Li Po Phalaenopsis [A region of Yunan Province China] - In China Ma Li Po Hu Die Lan

Flower Size 1/2 to .8" [1.2 to 2cm]

Found in southeastern Yunnan China in sparse forests and forest margins on trees at elevations of 600 to 1300 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with a short, monopodial stem enveloped by leaf bearing sheaths and carrying 3 to 5, mostly deciduous, usually 2 at flowering, slightly fleshy, oblong to elliptic, obliquely acute-obtuse, broadly cuneate-rounded below into the base leaves that blooms in the spring on 1 to 4, basal, 3.2 to 6" [8 to 15 cm] long, green, racemose, laxly 5 to 10 flowered inflorescence with pale yellow-green, triangular-lanceolate, acuminate floral bracts

CAUTION Eric Christenson considers this orchid the Chinese form of P lobbii .

"P malipoense is similar to P gibbosa, P lobbii and P parishii but differs in teh narrower petals, a straight rachis [ not zig-zag], and a larger callus at the base of ta deeply forked midlobe. The species is probably deciduous in nature." W Higgins 2019

Synonyms Phalaenopsis malipoensis f. aurea O.Gruss 2012

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Acta Botanica Yunnanica Liu, Chen and Ru 2005; A Field Guide to the Orchids of China Singchi, Zhongjian, Yibo, Xiaohua and Zhanhuo 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos fide; Orchid Digest Vol 77 #4 2013 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 78 #4 2014 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #4 2019 Photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 89 #11 2020 photo fide; Atlas of Native Orchids of China Vol 2 Jin Xiaohua, Li Jianwu and Ye Deping 2019 photo fide;

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