Phalaenopsis speciosa Rchb. f. 1881 SUBGENUS Polychilos SECTION Zebrinae Pfitz 1889 Photo courtesy of Nik Fahmi and his Vortex Orchid Page.

var christiana Rchb.f 1882 Photo by © Charles Wilson

to LATE EARLY

Common Name The Beautiful Phalaenopsis

Flower Size 2.1" [5.5 cm]

Found on the islands of Andaman and Nicobar at low elelvations as a medium sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with flattened roots, a short stem enveloped completely by leaf-bearing sheaths and carrying 4 to 5, elliptic-obovate, tapered at the base, acute to obtuse, convex leaves that blooms in the late spring through early winter on a arching to subpendant, to 12" [to 30 cm] long, racemose or paniculate inflorescence with showy, very fragrant flowers.

Synonyms Phalaenopsis speciosa var. christiana Rchb.f 1882; Phalaenopsis speciosa var. imperatrix Rchb.f. 1882; Polychilos speciosa (Rchb. f.) Shim 1982

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/95; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 1 1966 drawing; Phalaenopsis, A Monograph EA Christenson 2001; Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007

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