Phalaenopsis reichenbachiana (Rchb.f & Sander 1882)
 
Reichenbach's phalaenopsis
Distribution : Philippines (Luzon, Bohol, Mindanao)
 
Synonyms

Phalaenopsis sumatrana var kimballiana (Rchb.f 1888)

Phalaenopsis kimballiana (Gower 1888)

Polychilos reichenbachiana (Shim 1982)
 

     Epiphytic plant with roots coarse, rather rigid, glabrous.
     Stem robust, short, completely enclosed by imbricating leaf-sheaths.
     Leaves arcuate, obovate, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic-ovate, round, cuneate at, being able to exceed 35 cm. of length on 7 cm. of broad.
     Flower stalk longer than the foliage, erect or arcuate, sometime branched.
      Bracts short, triangular, cucullate, acute, of 5 mm.
 

      Flowers of 4 cm, waxy, fleshy. Well spread out sepals and petals. Dorsal sepal elliptic or elliptic-ovate, acute, slightly canaliculate and indistinctly carinate dorsally toward tip. Lateral sepals obliquely ovate or ovate-lanceolate, seldom elliptic, acute, also indistinctly carinate dorsally toward tip. Petals obliquely ovate or ovate-elliptic, acute, very cuneate at base.
    The lip is very directed forwards, 3-lobed, shortest than the petals. Lateral lobes oblong-linear, erect, with cushion-like thickening in middle, apex emarginate. Midlobe trowel-shaped, acute, presenting in its former third the starter of two truncated and irregularly denticulate auricles. The disc between the lateral lobes presents a bump which is transformed into lengthened papillae directed towards back and downwards. In front of this bump one distinguishes a double callus bifide flattened. At the junction of the lateral lobes and midlobe another appendix bifide is directed forwards. The middle of the midlobe is provided of a prominent keel which is transformed into a covered lengthened thickening of prominent hairs.
     Column fleshy, arcuate, widened in its top, from 10 to 12 mm long.
     Pedicellate ovary of 2,5 cm long.

 
Lip of Phal.reichenbachiana (Sweet)
    
Observations

 

     This species is very recognizable with its color white/greenish or yellow/greenish or yellow with transverse bars brown/red or cinnamon or sometimes sepia, similar with those of Phalaenopsis fasciata. The difference is done by the lip. Lateral lobes are whitish with yellow thickenings without marks. The base of the lip is yellow/orange, whereas the midlobe white, is very delicately decorated mauve spots difficult to observe. The flower can reach and exceed 5 cm, with pedicellate ovary longer than one of Phalaenopsis fasciata. The floral stalk can be shorter than the foliage. White column.
     Rare in nature and in culture. It often meets confused with Phalaenopsis fasciata.
     The midlobe of Phalaenopsis reichenbachiana is more angular than that of Phalaenopsis fasciata and, especially, it is glabre for this last species.
      The floral segments are definitely less recurvate for Phalaenopsis reichenbachiana, the lateral sepals of this last are developed also much, primarily in width. The general tonality is paler than at Phalaenopsis fasciata.
      The collector which discovered this species (Micholitz), indicates that this Phalaenopsis prefers the shaded situations.
 
History
 

     Named thus to honour professor Reichenbach, eminent specialist in the classification of Orchids during second half of XIX century.
     Some additional words from Rolf in the Orchid Review N°152 august 1905.
 
Average temperature humidity and pluviometry, evolution relating to the Philippines on the sea level (area of Manila)
 
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