Phalaenopsis equestris (Schauer) Rchb.f.

Phalaenopsis equestris (Schauer) Rchb.f. is native from the Philippines island of Luzon to Taiwan, at an altitude of 0-350 m, near streams in the hot valleys. It is a small sized, hot growing, monopodial epiphyte with a short stem enveloped by several limbricating leaf bases and carrying to 5, fleshy, recurved, oblong-elliptic to oblong-ovate, acute or subobtuse leaves. The leaves are 15-20 cm long.

 Phalaenopsis equestris (Schauer) Rchb.f., Linnaea 22(7): 864 (1850).

Phalaenopsis equestris (Schauer) Rchb.f.; Photo Nelson T. Geraldino

Phalaenopsis equestris (Schauer) Rchb.f.; Photo by Mon Calado

Its native range is S. Taiwan (Hsiao, Lan Yü) to Philippines.

Synonym:

Phalaenopsis equestris var. alba H.R.Sweet

Phalaenopsis equestris f. alba (H.R.Sweet) Christenson

Phalaenopsis equestris f. aurea Christenson

Phalaenopsis equestris f. cyanochila O.Gruss

Phalaenopsis equestris var. leucaspis Rchb.f.

Phalaenopsis equestris var. leucotanthe Rchb.f. ex God.-Leb.

Phalaenopsis equestris var. rosea Valmayor & D.Tiu

Phalaenopsis riteiwanensis Masam.

Phalaenopsis rosea Lindl.

Phalaenopsis rosea var. aurantiaca Gower

Phalaenopsis rosea var. deliciosa Burb.

Phalaenopsis rosea var. leucaspis Rolfe

Stauroglottis equestris Schauer

Stauroglottis riteiwanensis (Masam.) Masam.

English Name:

The Horse Phalaenopsis.

Chinese name:

Xiao Lan Yu Hu Die Lan - 小兰屿蝴蝶兰

Description: 

Stems very short, 3- or 4-leaved. Leaves linear-ligulate or narrowly oblong, 10-24 × 3-5 cm, base cuneate, apex obtuse or unequally bilobed. Inflorescence to 30 cm, unbranched or sometimes branched, laxly many flowered; rachis dark purple, flexuous; floral bracts 2-4 mm. Flowers ca. 2 cm in diam., variable in color, typically sepals and petals white or pale pink with a central pink suffusion, lip rose or red, callus white or yellow, sometimes spotted rose or red, column rose, anther cap white; pedicel and ovary slender, 2-2.5 cm. Dorsal sepal oblong, 11-14 × 5-7 mm, acute; lateral sepals falcate-ovate, 10-14 × 6-7 mm. Petals oblong-obovate or rhombic, 10-12 × 4-7 mm, base contracted and adnate to column foot, apex acute; lip base with a claw ca. 1.5 mm, lip 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect-incurved, oblong-oblanceolate, 5-6.5 × 2-3 mm, rounded; mid-lobe spreading horizontally, ovate-elliptic, 9-11 × 7-8 mm, acute; callus solitary, peltate, quadrangular with a truncate apex. Column 6-9 mm, slender, foot ca. 3 mm; stipe ca. 3 mm; viscidium ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1 mm.

Phalaenopsis equestris var. alba [Hort] E A Christensen 2001: Sepals and petals are white. Lip is white

Phalaenopsis equestris var. aurea: Sepals and petals are white . Lip is yellow

Phalaenopsis equestris var. ilocos : Sepals and petals are light purple . Lip is purple

Phalaenopsis equestris var. rosea: Sepals and petals are pink . Lip is pink

Phalaenopsis equestris variant: Sepals and petals are magenta . Lip is red

Phalaenopsis equestris var. cyanochilus : Sepals and petals are white with very light blue shades. Lip is blue.

Distribution:

Philippines, Taiwan.

Ecological:

Near streams in hot valleys at an altitude of sealevel to 350 m.

Flowering times:

Blooms at almost any time of the year although the peak is September through April.

Flower size:

Grow in intermediate to warm temperatures. Pot in medium fir bark and keep in moderate light. Water about once a week. Keep plant fairly moist but not wet. Reduce watering during the winter.

Type:

Lobb, T. [s.n.], Philippines K000891580 Unknown type material

Ref:

orchidspecies.com

ipni.org

powo.science.kew.org 

orchids.fandom.com