endemic to Mindanao, southern Philippines. The foliage is remarkably decorated
with silver grey over dark green, and the lower side of leaves is solid purple. Inflorescences can reach up to 60 cm and are branch with age and are many flowered.
Flowers, sometimes lightly perfumed, are white, with the basal third yellow to
green, spotted with brown. The midlobe of the lip is also spotted. Flowers have a
fragile look but are remarkably long lasting. The variant known as P. stuartiana f.
punctatissima (Rchb.f.) Christenson) has flowers entirely spotted. P. stuartiana f. nobilis (Rchb.f.) Christenson (Fig. 9) bears sulfur yellow flowers, oddly noticeable within this genus. Nonetheless, flowers of this variety are often deformed or poorly
shaped.
Section Deliciosae Christenson
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Type species: Phalaenopsis deliciosa. The three species of this section are intermediate between subgenera Polychilos and Phalaenopsis. Phal. deliciosa used to
belong to the genus Kingidium, here merged with Phalaenopsis. Some species of
the former Kingidium are now assigned to subgenus Aphyllae, but P. deliciosa being an evergreen species, and not sharing the same distribution area is treated as
the type of section Deliciosae.
Phalaenopsis chibae T. Y ukawa [= Kingidium chibae (T. Yukawa) Gruss & Rollke] (Fig.
10), endemic from Vietnam, is a rather recently described miniature epiphytic
species (1996), producing dark green suffused with purple leaves measuring up
to 11 x 5 cm. Purple and erected inflorescences (up to 11 cm
high) are branching and can bear many flowers (up to 15
flowers on each branch). The small flowers (up to 1.2 cm
in natural spread) open simultaneously. These flowers are
yellow with pale brown to reddish markings on the two
basal third of the floral pieces. The very specific callus of
this species should justify the creation of a new section or
even subgenus.
Phalaenopsis deliciosa Rchb.f. [= Kingidium deliciosum
(Rchb.f.) H.R. Sweet; = Aerides latifolia Thwaites; = P. bella Teijsm. & Binn.; = P. hebe Rchb.f.; = Kingiella hebe (Rchb.f.) Rolfe;
= P. wightii Rchb.f.; = P. amethystina Rchb.f.; = P. alboviolacea
Ridl.; = Doritis philippinensis Ames; = Doritis steffensii Schltr.,
etc.] (Figures 10 to 12) is a small epiphyte widespread from
Sri Lanka to the Philippines. Plants rapidly form clumps
with basal keikis. Racemes-forming inflorescences, up to
12 cm long appear between the dark green leaves; up to 15
x 4 cm. Flowers open sequentially over long periods. Petals
and sepals are white to yellow, spotted with pink to purple
at the base. Lip is pink, veined with darker pink, and the
column is soft pink. Plants with yellow petals and sepals are
described as P. deliciosa subsp. hookeriana (O. Gruss & Roellke) Christenson (Fig. 11). The long synonyms list is due to the
wide distribution area. An albino form also exist (Fig. 12).
Phalaenopsis mysorensis C.J. Saldanha [= Kingidium mysorensis (C.J. Saldanha) C.S. Kumar; = Kingidium niveum C.S. Kumar] is a miniature epiphyte (leaves up to 3-14 x 1,5-3,5 cm)
endemic from southern India, producing short and fewflowered (4-8) inflorescences (1-8 cm). Flowers are white,
with lip lateral lobes intense yellow. This species seems to
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Phalaenopsis | Third Quarter | Volume 23 | 2013