Phalaenopsis robinsonii (J.J.Smith 1917)
 
Robinson's Phalaenopsis
 
Distribution : island of Amboine. Only one specimen collected in 1913
 
Synonym

Polychilos robinsonii (Shim 1982)

 
    Epiphytic plant. Roots numerous, fleshy, flexuous, glabrous.
    Stem short, completely enclosed by imbricating leaf-sheaths.
    4/5 leaves, fleshy, pendent, oblong-lanceolate, acute or sub-obtuse, at cuneate base, conduplicate,  of more than 31 cm. of length on 5,5 cm. of broad.
    Flower stalk sub-erect or arcuate, simple, shorter than the foliage, few flowered.
     Bracts cuculate, ovate, acute of 5 mm. long.
 

   Flower fleshy of 3 cm. Sepal dorsal almost oblong-ovate or elliptic, with a canaliculate,acute apex. Lateral sepal obliquely lanceolate or almost elliptic, canaliculate, sub-sickle-shaped, sub-acuminate apex. Petals slightly oblique, elliptic or sub-rhomboid, acute.
     Lip very fleshy, 3-lobed, at very narrowed short base, a little shorter than the petals. Lateral lobes triangular, sub-sickle-shaped, acute, decorated along the former margin with a sub-globulous callus. Midlobe at cuneate base, ovate, very fleshy with smooth apex provided with a longitudinal ovoid callus. Disc between lateral lobes provided of a semi-cylindrical bidentate callus, continued by another callus cylindrical, forked, reaching half of the disc of the midlobe. There is no median keel.
     Column erect, cylindrical, fleshy of 1 cm long.
     Pedicellate ovary of 1 cm long.    White flower, lilac spotted.
     It's possible that this species could be attached to another section because the description of the floral segments is based on an immature button. If the mature flower has the well spread out floral segments typical for Sweet of the section Amboinenses, this classification is exact.
    This Phalaenopsis bears the name of its "inventor" botanist C.B Robinson (1871-1913).


Lip of Phal. robinsonii (Sweet)
Holotype of Phal.robinsonii preserved at Leyde Herbarium ( Netherlands)
 
Description of Phalaenopsis robinsonii par JJ Smith in 1917 "The Philippine Journal of Science"
 
 
Some sentence from the Orchid Review-februar 1914- about murder of Robinson
 
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