Phalaenopsis amabilis
Encyclopedia
Phalaenopsis amabilis, commonly known as the Moon Orchid, is a species of orchid.
by native botanist Georgius Everhardus Rumphius in 1653; however, he named it Angraecum ablum majus. It remained undiscovered until 1825 when Karl Ludwig Blume discovered the same species and gave it the name it is known by presently. This species is usually found in the eastern to southeastern regions of Asia. Plants in this genus are typically widespread in the areas of eastern Asia, such as China
and Indonesia
.
. The rooting of P. amabilis is usually unbranched. The only times it would be branched are if the roots are damaged or if the individual has gotten old in age. The leaves of P. amabilis vary from oblong to elliptic at the base and obtuse, minutely, at the tip or apex and measures at 50 × 10 cm. The moon orchid's flower is showy, membranous, white, the lip, (the unpared petals of an orchid) which is three-lobed, and the callus are a variety of yellow and red depending on the individual plant. It is able to bloom for a long period of time and can grow up to 10 cm in diameter and more.
Phalaenopsis amabilis reproduces sexually through pollination
. This plant grows its flower to attract the pollinator. It is generally pollinated by large carpenter bees from the genus Xylcopa. For this particular species in the Phalaenopsis genus the pollination frequency and success rate is high (about 50%).
P. amabilis and the other species in the same genus grow naturally in three distinct habitats. The first is in seasonally dry areas, then seasonally cool areas and last constantly moist or humid areas (Christenson
), developing adaptions for each habitat. For the seasonally dry habitats, Phalaenopsis species have an extreme adaptation in which it adopts deciduous
habits, losing its leaves. They do this because in dry habitats, leaves are a serious liability when water isn't easily accessible. This adaptation typically occurs in species found outside the Himalayan
region. For the habitats that are seasonally cool areas, the species found there are all deciduous or semi-deciduous in nature which means these plant have a strong dormant rest period. In this dormant period, the plants have protection from the cold due to the high carbon to nitrogen ratio and low water content on the leaf tissue. The constantly moist and humid habitats are the most common places that someone can find many of the Phalaenopsis species. In this habitat, the species grow in the canopy evergreen forests. Because they grow in the canopy, the species' adaptation is growing leathery leaves to prevent desiccation and so that the plants can tolerate higher light levels than other species.
According to Dressler, the plants of this family are thought to be closely related to plants that would have been classified in the Liliaceae
or the Amaryllidaceae
families. This is the largest flower in the genus. When it was discovered, the name it has now was misapplied because it was constantly mistaken for the P. aphrodite so before it was called P. grandiflora.
, the other two being the sambac jasmine
and padma raksasa
Officially recognized as national "flower of charm" in Presidential Decree No. 4 in 1993,
In China, the orchid stood for refinement, friendship, perfection, numerous progeny, all things feminine, noble, and elegant.
Taxonomy and nomenclature
It was first discovered on a small island off the east coast of New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
by native botanist Georgius Everhardus Rumphius in 1653; however, he named it Angraecum ablum majus. It remained undiscovered until 1825 when Karl Ludwig Blume discovered the same species and gave it the name it is known by presently. This species is usually found in the eastern to southeastern regions of Asia. Plants in this genus are typically widespread in the areas of eastern Asia, such as China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
Description
Plants of this genus have a uniform structure that makes the identification easy for novice botanists. Phalaenopsis amabilis, like most of the other species in this genus, has a short stem. This is believed to be an adaptation to gain the light requirements needed to grow, according to ChristensonChristenson
Christenson is a patronymic surname and an anglicized form of the Danish Christensen.See also*Christensen *Kristensen...
. The rooting of P. amabilis is usually unbranched. The only times it would be branched are if the roots are damaged or if the individual has gotten old in age. The leaves of P. amabilis vary from oblong to elliptic at the base and obtuse, minutely, at the tip or apex and measures at 50 × 10 cm. The moon orchid's flower is showy, membranous, white, the lip, (the unpared petals of an orchid) which is three-lobed, and the callus are a variety of yellow and red depending on the individual plant. It is able to bloom for a long period of time and can grow up to 10 cm in diameter and more.
Phalaenopsis amabilis reproduces sexually through pollination
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
. This plant grows its flower to attract the pollinator. It is generally pollinated by large carpenter bees from the genus Xylcopa. For this particular species in the Phalaenopsis genus the pollination frequency and success rate is high (about 50%).
P. amabilis and the other species in the same genus grow naturally in three distinct habitats. The first is in seasonally dry areas, then seasonally cool areas and last constantly moist or humid areas (Christenson
Christenson
Christenson is a patronymic surname and an anglicized form of the Danish Christensen.See also*Christensen *Kristensen...
), developing adaptions for each habitat. For the seasonally dry habitats, Phalaenopsis species have an extreme adaptation in which it adopts deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
habits, losing its leaves. They do this because in dry habitats, leaves are a serious liability when water isn't easily accessible. This adaptation typically occurs in species found outside the Himalayan
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
region. For the habitats that are seasonally cool areas, the species found there are all deciduous or semi-deciduous in nature which means these plant have a strong dormant rest period. In this dormant period, the plants have protection from the cold due to the high carbon to nitrogen ratio and low water content on the leaf tissue. The constantly moist and humid habitats are the most common places that someone can find many of the Phalaenopsis species. In this habitat, the species grow in the canopy evergreen forests. Because they grow in the canopy, the species' adaptation is growing leathery leaves to prevent desiccation and so that the plants can tolerate higher light levels than other species.
According to Dressler, the plants of this family are thought to be closely related to plants that would have been classified in the Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
or the Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...
families. This is the largest flower in the genus. When it was discovered, the name it has now was misapplied because it was constantly mistaken for the P. aphrodite so before it was called P. grandiflora.
Importance
Phalaenopsis amabilis ( meaning "moon orchid") is one of the three national flowers in IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the other two being the sambac jasmine
Jasminum sambac
Jasminum sambac is a species of jasmine native to South and Southeast Asia. It is a small shrub or vine growing up to in height. It is widely cultivated for its attractive and sweetly fragrant flowers. The flowers are also used for perfumes and for making tea. It is known as the Arabian jasmine in...
and padma raksasa
Rafflesia arnoldii
Rafflesia arnoldii is a member of the genus Rafflesia. It is noted for producing the largest individual flower on earth, and a strong odor of decaying flesh - the latter point earning it the nickname of "corpse flower". It is an endemic plant that occurs only in the rainforest of Bengkulu and...
Officially recognized as national "flower of charm" in Presidential Decree No. 4 in 1993,
In China, the orchid stood for refinement, friendship, perfection, numerous progeny, all things feminine, noble, and elegant.
Sources
- Christenson, Eric A. Phalaenopsis A Monograph. New York: Timber P, Incorporated, 2001.
- Reinikka, Merle A. History of the Orchid. Portland, Or: Timber P, 1995.
- Van Der Pijl, L., and Calaway H. Dodson. Orchid Flowers/ Their Pollination and Evolution. Harris, NY: C. H. Dodson, 1966.
- Dressler, Robert L. Phylogeny and classification of the orchid family. Portland, OR: Dioscorides P, 1993.
- Freed, Hugo. Orchids and Serendipity. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1970.