Phalaenopsis pulcherrima (J.J Smith 1933)
 
Very beautiful Phalaenopsis
(from Latin pulcher, very beautiful, to bring closer Phalaenopsis pulchra)
Distribution : Very cosmopolitan specie -since the North-East of India to south China, while passing by the Malayan peninsula and Borneo, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam.
Synonyms

Doritis pulcherrima (Lindl. 1833)

Phalaenopsis esmeralda (Rchb.f. 1874)

Phalaenopsis antennifera (Rchb.f. 1879)

Phalaenopsis esmeralda var. rubra (Hort 1892)

Phalaenopsis mastersii (King & Pantl. 1897)
For memory, this plant also appears under the name of Doritis pulchella in the book of Maurice Vacherot "Les Orchidees" -1957

 
 
    Terrestrial plant forming clump.
     Many, rigid roots laid out in regular crowns around the stem.
      Leaves oblong or elliptic, acute, concave. Long 15 cm, wide 3 cm.
      Flower stalk erect of 50/60 cm.
      Dorsal sepal cuneate at base then elliptic or elliptic-obovate, obtuse or rounded. Lateral sepal sub-triangular ovate, obtuse, slightly shorter than the sepal dorsal, but broader, turned backwards. Petals similar to dorsal sepal.
     Lip 3-lobed. Lateral lobes slightly directed towards front, lanceolate. Midlobe tri-lobulate, almost equal lobules, with lateral lobules erect, elliptic, obtuse, rounded. Oval, obtuse median lobule, sub-acute, deflected. Callus simple, small, rounded.
     Column erect, vigorous at base provided with two protuberances wing-shaped.
     Pedicellate ovary 1,6 cm long.
 
Observations
 
     Flower mauve to violet/red. Midlobe crimson striped longitudinally of white or pale pink. Lobules erect, orange. Disc and column white.
     He grow since sea level until an altitude of 1200 meters, sometimes directly on a sandy ground or rocks.
      Like the other plants of this section, Phalaenopsis pulcherrima request more light than the other species and flowers more in summer.
 
History
 
    Species introduced in Europe in 1874 by Godefroy-Lebeuf, horticulturist in Argenteuil, a locality near Paris, and in same time by Low in England.
     More information in an Orchid Review (1945)
 
Botanical varieties
 
 
Phalaenopsis pulcherrima f.alba.(Christenson 2001)
     Synonym : Doritis pucherrima f.alba (Gruss & Roeth 1999)
     Flower white, less some yellow on callus, lobules and lateral lobes.

Phalaenopsis pulcherrima f.albiflora.(Christenson 2001)      Synonym : Phalaenopsis esmeralda var.albiflora. (Rchb.f 1877) Doritis pulcherrima f.albiflora.(Roeth & Gruss 1999)
     Sepals and petals white, pink lip.

Phalaenopsis pulcherrima f.coerulea.(Christenson 2001)      Synonym : Doritis pulcherrima var. coerulea.(Fowlie 1969)Doritis pulcherrima f. coerulea (Gruss & Roeth 1999)
     Flower blue to violet blue
Phalaenopsis pulcherrima f.alba.
    
Phalaenopsis pulcherrima f.coerulea.
 
 
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