Phalaenopsis Orchid - Species And Varieties, Photo

More than 70 species are known in the Phalaenopsis genus. All of them are monopodial type orchids, with a strongly shortened stem and wide leathery leaves. A full-grown plant has 4-6 leaves, they are evergreen, but they gradually age, turn yellow and die off, new ones grow to replace them. The size of the leaves, as well as flowers, varies in different species - the length of the leaf ranges from 5 cm in miniature phalaenopsis, to 30 cm in large-leaved species. Peduncles are axillary, long, the abundance of branching depends on the quality of care, under favorable conditions, the peduncles branch abundantly and bear many flowers. The phalaenopsis flower resembles a butterfly in shape, in different species the flowers are larger or smaller, with more rounded petals or elongated, pointed ones, but in general, the shape of the butterfly is always traced. The aroma of the flowers can be pronounced or absent.

By the way, in the classification of orchids, Phalaenopsis refers to the subtribe Aeridinae, which translates from Latin as 'airy' or 'reaching up to the sky', which obviously characterizes the orchid's lifestyle in nature - a pronounced epiphyte (or lithophyte).

Phalaenopsis classification

Class: Monocots
Order: Asparagus
Family: Orchid
Subfamily: Epidendric
Tribe: Vendian
Subtribe: Aeridinae
Genus: Phalaenopsis

The genus Phalaenopsis can be conventionally divided into two groups:

A group of phalaenopsis with long, branched inflorescences (up to 1 m) and large, round-shaped flowers, mostly pink or white.
A group of phalaenopsis with short peduncles, flowers of various shapes (and rounded and elongated, narrower petals), as a rule, waxy petals, of a denser structure and the brightest colors.

Phalaenopsis Stuart

Phalaenopsis pleasant

Phalaenopsis Sandera

Phalaenopsis Shiller

Phalaenopsis Chiba

Phalaenopsis pleasant

Phalaenopsis beautiful

Phalaenopsis celebesky

Phalaenopsis species

Systematics of the genus Phalaenopsis: includes five subgenera

Phalaenopsis subgenus	Phalaenopsis section		F. Filipino Ph. philippinensis F. Stewart Ph. stuartiana F. pleasant Ph. amabilis F. Aphrodite Ph. aphrodite F. Sander Ph. sanderiana F. Schiller Ph. schilleriana
	Deliciosae section		F. Chiba Ph. chibae
	Esmeralda section		F. Bussot Ph. buyssoniana F. beautiful Ph. pulcherrima F. Rainier Ph. regnieriana
	Stauroglottis section		F. celebesskiy Ph. celebensis F. rider Ph. equestris Linden Phalaenopsis Ph. lindenii
Subgenus Aphyllae (leafless)			F. Wilson Ph. wilsonii F. Stuartian Ph. stobartiana F. Tanialis Ph. taenialis F. Brace Ph. braceana F. finley Ph. finleyi F. Hainan Ph. hainanensis F. honghenensis Ph. honghenensis
Subgenus Parishianae			F. appendiculum Ph. appendiculata F. humpbacked Ph. gibbosa F. Lobba Ph. Lobbii F. Parisha Ph. parishii F. Malipoan Ph. malipoensis
Subgenus Polychilos		Section Polychilos	F. antler Ph. cornu-cervi F. Mann Ph. mannii F. pantherina Ph. pantherina F. Bornean Ph. borneensis
		Fuscatae section	F. spoon Ph. cochlearis F. green Ph. viridis F. Fuscata Ph. fuscata F. kunstleri Ph. kunstleri
		Amboinenses section	F. handsome Ph. pulchra F. purple Ph. violacea F. bellina Ph. bellina F. micholisi (?) Ph. micholitzii F. fringed Ph. fimbriata F. floresensis Ph. floresensis F. Robinson Ph. robinsonii F. giant Ph. gigantea F. brown Ph. fasciata F. Trust Ph. doweryensis F. yellowish Ph. luteola F. moderate Ph. modesta F. spotted Ph. maculata F. Javanese Ph. javanica F. Mary Ph. mariae F. Ambon Ph. amboinensis F. Luddemann Ph. lueddemanniana F. veiny Ph. venosa F. Reichenbach Ph. reichenbachiana F. pale Ph. pallens F. Bastian Ph. bastianii F. hieroglyphic Ph. hieroglyphica
		Zebrina section	F. inscriptionsinensis Ph. inscriptiosinensis F. lovely Ph. speciosa F. tetrascript Ph. tetraspis F. Corning Ph. corningiana Sumatran Phalaenopsis Ph. sumatrana
Subgenus Proboscidiodes			F. Lowe Ph. lowii

Phalaenopsis Wilson

Phalaenopsis antler

Phalaenopsis Manna

Phalaenopsis pantherina

Phalaenopsis green

Phalaenopsis fuskata

Phalaenopsis purple

Phalaenopsis Javanese

Phalaenopsis ambone

Phalaenopsis pale

Phalaenopsis brown

Phalaenopsis beautiful

The table lists only the specific phalaenopsis, in fact, intensive cross-pollination has led to a huge number of hybrids of all sizes and variations in colors and shades of orchids. What we buy in regular flower shops are usually Phalaenopsis hybrids of the pleasant Ph. amabilis, Phalaenopsis Schiller Ph. schilleriana or Phalaenopsis Stuart Ph. stuartiana.

But orchid collectors usually boast a wider assortment, among the favorites there are a wide variety of species and hybrids. Phalaenopsis orchids can be purchased in specialized online stores, from well-known collectors, on various thematic forums and even through e-bay.

Phalaenopsis varieties

In addition to the specific phalaenopsis, various hybrids are much more widespread. The taxonomy of phalaenopsis and orchids in general periodically changes, for example, the Esmeralda section of Esmeralda includes species that previously belonged to the genus Doritis Doritis - this is Phalaenopsis Busso, Phalaenopsis the most beautiful, Phalaenopsis Rainier. At the same time, some varieties that were considered hybrids of Doritis and Phalaenopsis, the so-called Doritenopsis Doritaenopsis - abbreviated Dtps. now we can safely call Phalaenopsis, the Doritis clan does not exist. However, orchid suppliers from the Netherlands and Taiwan still offer orchids with outdated names for sale.

So, the most popular Phalaenopsis variety "Black Orchid" still has the trade name of the Dtps hybrid. Black Butterfly.

Below in the photo are some popular varieties of phalaenopsis: