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Phalaenopsis sanderiana (Rchb.f 1882)
 
 
 
Sander's Phalaenopsis
 
 
Distribution : Mindanao ( Philippines). Relatively rare, especially present in the provinces of Davao and Zamboanga (southern of Mindanao)
 
 
Principal synonyms

Phalaenopsis alcicornis (Rchb.f. 1887)

Phalaenopsis amabilis var.aphrodite subvar.sanderiana (Hearts 1908)

Phalaenopsis amabilis var sanderana (Davis 1949)

Phalaenopsis aphrodite var.sanderiana (Quis 1941)
 
     Epiphytic plant with very short stem completely enclosed by imbricating leaf-sheaths.
     Many roots, fleshy, flexuous.
     Leaves naturally very few (1 to 3, many more in culture), spread out, very thick and coriaces, oblong or ovate-oblong, apiculate at tip, long from 15 to 25 cm, broad from 6 to 10 cm, dark green mixed of gray ashed at the higher face.
     Flower stalk robust, being born from lower part or among the leaves, brown purplished, sometimes white spotted, reflected, length from 35 to 60 cm or more, simple or branching, bearing many flowers (easily more than 12).
     Flowers from 7 to 8 cm, with well spread out segments, of a rosy white or purplished. Sepals ovate-oblong, obtuse, lateral sepals a little palest. Briefly onguiculate petals, with very broad limb, rounded, sub-rhomboid.
      Lip a little shorter than lateral sepals, deeply 3-lobed. Lateral lobes broad, round-offs, obtuse, bent to the top so as to meeting above the column, marked whit some large purple points and yellow. Midlobe hastate, finished by two cirrhi laid out in anchor, flexuous and rather long. Disc presenting between lateral lobes a large callus bifide horseshoe-shaped, white below, yellowish at the top, spotted of brown reddish.
    Column round, white, tinted of pink or mauve at apex.
    Pedicellate ovary of 3 cm.long.		  
 
Observations
 
     Possible all year, but more abundant flowering in spring.
     Phalaenopsis sanderiana was regarded sometimes as a natural hybrid between Phalaenopsis Aphrodite and Phalaenopsis schilleriana, or as a variety of Phalaenopsis Aphrodite because their flowers are very similar, especially in their white forms. The observation of the very marked horseshoe callus at Phalaenopsis sanderiana makes this assimilation null. It cannot be a natural hybrid either because Phalaenopsis Aphrodite and Phalaenopsis schilleriana are completely missing in the area of distribution of Phalaenopsis sanderiana.
     Colour of Phalaenopsis sanderiana is quite variable from white to rosy white and pink purple. Also variable the lip color whose marks vary from brown to red or yellow.
     He grow between the sea level and an altitude of 450 meters.
     Flowering of very long duration. Relatively rare species in culture. Sometimes labelled under the name of Phalaenopsis sanderana.
 
History
 
        Discovered at Mindanao in 1882 by Roebelin which sent it to Sanders. It preceded by very little Burke which worked for Veitch.
     It flowers for the first time in Europe, either in 1882 at Sander, or in 1883 at Rotschild.
      While speaking about Phalaenopsis sanderiana in Gardener' S Chronicle, Reichenbach gives the opinion that this Phalaenopsis is most beautiful that one can dream (26 May 1883). The botanist had under the eyes two stems awarded each one by an FCC from The Royal Horticultural Society, one came from Sir N M. De Rotschild, the other even more richly flowered from Sir Trevor Lawrence President of The Royal Horticultural Society. The phalaenopsis sanderiana was still regarded as "A lady among orchids" or described thus "it bears the charms of has just developing maiden" (Reichenbach).
      The first collection of Phalaenopsis sanderiana gave place to a hecatomb. The 21000 plants gathered by Roebelin for the Sander firm were destroyed during a hurricane. Finally it found of it a hundred which it could dispatch in England.
 
     More about the discovery of Phalaenopsis sanderiana in the Orchid Review 1939
 
 
Botanical varieties
     Phalaenopsis sanderiana var alba (Veitch 1892) Synonymous Phalaenopsis alcicornis (Rchb.f)
     White form. Lateral lobes of lip spotted of purple at base and presence of some yellow spots on the callus.
 
     Phalaenopsis sanderiana var.marmorata (Reich.f 1883) Synonymous Phalaenopsis amabilis var Aphrodite subvar.sanderiana f.marmorata (Hearts 1908), Phalaenopsis sanderiana var.punctata (O' Brien 1891), Phalaenopsis sanderiana subvar.punctata (Veitch 1891), Phalaenopsis amabilis var Aphrodite subvar.sanderiana f.punctata (Hearts 1908)
     Sepals and petals tinted of yellow, with green reflections. The base of the lateral sepals is marked of concentric circles of purple/violet spots. The lateral lobes of lip show three mauve broad basal bars, almost parallel, and some spots crimsons. The midlobe is clearly marbled with fine spots purplished on the side and a purplish suffusion on the disc at connection of the three lobes.
 
Average temperature humidity and pluviometry, evolution relating to the Philippines with 250 meters of altitude (area of Davao)