Phalaenopsis mannii Rchb.f 1871 Subgenus Polychilos Sect. Polychilos [Breda] Rchb.f 1864

Photo courtesy of Allen Black

Flower Closeup Photo by Jay Pfahl.

Fragrance Full shadeWarm to Hot Spring

Common Name Mann's Phalaenopsis [German Orchid Enthusiast 1800's]

Flower Size 1 1/2" [4 cm]

This small to just medium sized, warm to hot growing, epiphytic species is found through the eastern Indian Himalayas, Assam, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Myanamar, southern China and Vietnam as a pendulous growing epiphyte in tropical valleys at elevations of 500 to 1500 meters in humid broadleafed evergreen forests with dense undergrowth near streams and rivers on rough barked trees even though there is not much falling rain. They are best grown slabbed on cork or tree fern because of their pendant growth habit with a short stem enveloped by imbricating leaf bases carrying 4 to 5, oblong-oblanceolate to oblong-ligulate, shiney, fleshy, acute, medium green leaves. They like shady areas with high humidity and a distinctly drier winter rest that helps initiate spring blooming on a slender, pendulous, to 18" [45 cm] long, racemose or rarely paniculate, laxly many [to 70] flowered inflorescence that is as long as the leaves with small ovate-lanceolate bracts with fragrant, waxy, long-lived flowers appearing in succesion.

Synonyms Phalaenopsis boxalli Rchb.f 1883; Polychilos mannii (Rchb. f.) Shim 1982

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen & Mori 1997; Beautiful Orchids of Nepal Rajbhandari & Bhattarai 2001; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2002

Phalaenopsis mannii f. flava E.A.Christenson 2001 Photo courtesy of Allen Black

A yellow flower form.

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