Phalaenopsis violacea Witte 1861 Subgenus Polychilos Section Amboinenses Sweet 1968 Photo courtesy of Nik Fahmi and his Vortex Orchid Page
Common Name The Violet Phalaenopsis
Flower Size 1.4" [3.5 cm]
Found in the Malaya peninsula and the Island of Sumatra at elevations around 150 meters as a warm growing, pendulous epiphyte with a very short stem carrying 3 to 4, elliptical, obtuse, undulate gradually narrowing below into the basally clasping leaves that varies from the Borneo variety by being smaller leafed and with smaller flowers, as well as being easier to cross breed but the results are not as good as with the reluctant breeder from Borneo. It has extremely fragrant flowers that are borne one by one in succession on a pendant, stout, jointed, fractiflex, 4 to 5 " [10 to 12.5 cm] long inflorescence with a flattened, zigzag rachis with several [2 to 7], successive flowers with 2 to 3 open at any one time and occuring in the spring and they are used to give fragrance in the hybridizing of Phalaeenopsis. This species requires deep shade and high humidity as well as being watered regularly and should never be allowed to dry out completely.
Synonyms Phalaenopsis violacea f. coerulea Christenson 2001; Phalaenopsis violacea f. alba (Teijsm. & Binn.) Christenson 2001; Phalaenopsis violacea var. alba Teijsm. & Binn. 1862 ; Polychilos violacea (hort. ex H. Witte) Shim 1982; Stauritis violacea [Witte] Rchb.f 1862; Stauropsis violacea Rchb. f. 1862;
References W3 Tropicos [http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html] , Kew Monocot list [ http://www.kew.org/wcsp/home.do ], IPNI [ http://www.us.ipni.org/ipni/plantsearch?request_type=search&output_format=query&ret_defaults=on ]; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2002
~Phalaenopsis violacea var. Borneo Witte 1861
and 
Flower Size 2 to 3"
This is an evergreen, hot growing, epiphytic species that is found along low-lying shady streams and it flowers on a in the spring till summer on a 4 to 5" long, few flowered, successively opening, stout, jointed inflorescence with fragrant flowers and requires even water and fertilizer year round.
Phalaenopsis violacea f coerulea Christ 2001
A blue colored variety of the previous species.
Phalaenopsis violaces Witte var Malaysia Phalaenopsis violacea var. Mentawai H.Witte 1861
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