Phalaenopsis tetraspis Rchb.f. 1868 SUBGENUS Polychilos SECTION Zebrinae Pfitz 1889 Photo by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website

Another Flower Photo courtesy of The Oman and His Orchid Website.

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Common Name The Four Sheild Phalaenopsis

Flower Size 1 1/2" to 2" [4 to 5 cm]

Found in Sumatra, the Andaman Islands and Nicobar islands at elevations near sea level as a medium sized, hot growing epiphyte with a short stem carrying obovate, shortly acute to obtuse, gradually narrowing below to the basally clasping leaves where Spring is the blooming season on an arching, lateral, 12" [30 cm] long, racemose or paniculate, many flowered inflorescence with a fractiflex rachis that is longer than the leaves with small triangular, concave floral bracts and 4 to 8, fleshy, glossy, fragrant flowers where they are hot to warm growing orchids that like high humidity and regular waterings year round.

Synonyms Phalaenopsis barrti King ex Hook. f. 1895; Phalaenopsis imperati ?;Phalaenopsis speciosa var tetraspis [Rchb.f] Sweet 1968; Phalaenopsis sumatrana var alba Wilson 1915; Polychilos speciosa (Rchb. f.) Shim 1982

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1868; A Century of Indian Orchids Vol 5 Hooker 1895 drawing fide; The Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/95; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 1 1958 drawing; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 1 1966; Orchid Digest Vol 56 No 1 1992 photo/drawing; Phalaenopsis, A Monograph EA Christenson 2001; A to Z of South East Asian Orchid Species Vol 1 O'Byrne 2001 as P speciosa photo fide; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2002; Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007

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