Phalaenopsis equestris [Schauer]Rchb.f 1850 SUBGENUS Phalaenopsis SECTION Phalaenopsis Benth 1883

Photo by © Milan Vágner

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Common Name The Horse Phalaenopsis - In China Xiao Lan Yu Hu Die Lan

Flower Size .6 to 1.2" [1.5 to 3 cm]

Found from the Philippines and southern Taiwan near streams in hot valleys at an altitude of sealevel to 300 meters as a small sized, hot growing epiphyte with a short stem enveloped by several imbricating leaf bases and carrying to 5, fleshy, recurved, oblong-elliptic to oblong-ovate, acute or subobtuse leaves that blooms at almost any time of the year although the peak is September through April on a suberect to arcuate, to 12" [30 cm] long, racemose or paniculate, denesly many flowered inflorescence with small, purple bracts and successively opening flowers.

This species has a habit of making keikis and can rebloom out of old spikes and can continue to send off branches so they are best left uncut.

This orchid is highly adaptable to various environments and is easy to grow, if given a drier winter although never left to dry out completely.

Synonyms Phalaenopsis equestris f. alba hort. 1969; Phalaenopsis equestris f. alba [Hort] E A Christensen 2001; Phalaenopsis equestris f. aurea Christenson 2001; Phalaenopsis equestris f. cyanochila O.Gruss 2001; Phalaenopsis equestris [Schauer] Rchb.f var alba [Hort.] Sweet 1967; Phalaenopsis equestris [Schauer] Rchb.f var leucaspis Rchb.f 1881; Phalaenopsis equestris [Schauer] Rchb.f var leucotanthe Rchb.f 1883; Phalaenopsis equestris var. rosea Valmayor & D.Tiu 1984; Phalaenopsis esmeralda auct. non Rchb.f ?, Phalaenopsis riteiwanensis Masaume 1934, Phalaenopsis rosea Lindley 1848; Phalaenopsis rosea var aurantiaca Gower 1892; Phalaenopsis rosea var deliciosa Barb. 1882; Phalaenopsis rosea var leucaspis [Rchb.f] Rolfe 1886; Phalaenopsis stauroglottis [Schauer] Rchb.f 1881; *Stauroglottis equestris Schauer 1843; Stauroglottis riteiwanensis (Masam.) Masam. 1934

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1862; Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Vol 1 Ames 1905 as P rosea; Studies in the Family Orchidaceae Fascile 2 Ames 1908; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 as P rosea drawing ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 32 No 10 1963 as P rosea; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 1 1966 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #2 1967 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #5 1967 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 #4 1969 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 #4 1969 as P equestris var alba; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 #4 1969 as P equestris var leocotanthe; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 #4 1969 as P equestris var leucaspis; Orchid Digest Vol 36 No 6 1972 photo fide; The Genus Phalaenopsis Sweet 1980 drawing/photo fide; The Genus Phalaenopsis Sweet 1980 as P equestris var alba; The Genus Phalaenopsis Sweet 1980 as P equestris var leucaspis; The Genus Phalaenopsis Sweet 1980 as P equestris var leucotanthe; The Complete Writings on Philippine Orchids Vol 1 Quisumbing 1981; The Complete Writings on Philippine Orchids Vol 2 Quisumbing 1981 as P equestris var leucotanthe drawing/photo fide; ; AOS Bulletin Vol 51 No 12 1982 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 8 1983 photo fide; Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 19/20 1129 - 1264 Brieger 1988 drawing fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 19/20 1129 - 1264 Brieger 1988 as P equestris var leucotanthe; AOS Bulletin Vol 60 #2 1991 photo fide; Orchid Species Culture "P" Bakers 1991; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Launert 1992 drawing/photo fide; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Cribb & Wood 1994 excluded taxa; Orchid Digest Vol 59 No 1 1995 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 65 No 10 1996 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 66 No 2 1997 photo fide; Phalaenopsis, A Monograph EA Christenson 2001 drawing/photo fide; A to Z of South East Asian Orchid Species Vol 1 O'Byrne 2001 photo fide; Orchids of the Philippines Cootes 2001 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 66 #4 2002 photo fide; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 2 2004 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 4 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 5 2005 photo; Australian Orchid Review Vol 70 No 6 2005/6 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 No 1 2007 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 No 5 2007 photo fide; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; Philippine Native Orchid Species Cootes 2011 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 77 #4 2013 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #6 2015 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #5 2016 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 81 #1 2017 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 # 6 2019 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #4 2019 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #4 2019 Photo fide

Phalaenopsis equestris f. alba [Hort] E A Christensen 2001

SUBGENUS Phalaenopsis SECTION Stauroglottis [Schauer] Benth 1881

Photo by Lourens Grobler.

An all white variety of the previous species.

Synonyms Phalaenopsis equestris f. alba hort. 1969; Phalaenopsis equestris f. alba [Hort] E A Christensen 2001; Phalaenopsis equestris [Schauer] Rchb.f var alba {Hort.] Sweet 1967

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 #4 1969; The Genus Phalaenopsis Sweet 1980 as P equestris var alba; Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984 as P equestris var alba; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 19/20 1129 - 1264 Brieger 1988 as P equestris var alba; AOS Bulletin Vol 64 No 3 1995 photo fide; Orchids of the Philippines Cootes 2001 as P equestris var alba photo fide; *Phalaenopsis, A Monograph EA Christenson 2001; Philippine Native Orchid Species Cootes 2011 photo fide; photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 70 No 6 2005/6 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #6 2015 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 81 #1 2017 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #4 2019 Photo fide

Phalaenopsis equestris (Schauer) Rchb. f. Forma aurea Christenson 2001

SUBGENUS Phalaenopsis SECTION Stauroglottis [Schauer] Benth 1881

Photo courtesy of Nik Fahmi

Another color form of the previous species.

Synonyms Phalaenopsis equestris f. aurea Christenson 2001;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchid Digest Vol 36 No 6 1972 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 68 No 4 1999 photo fide; Phalaenopsis, A Monograph EA Christenson 2001 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 70 No 6 2005/6 photo; Philippine Native Orchid Species Cootes 2011 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 87 #10 2018 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #4 2019 Photo fide

Phalaenopsis equestris var leucaspis Schauer]Rchb.f 1849