Phalaenopsis amabilis (L.) Blume
Moon orchid · Orchidaceae
- Accepted name
- Phalaenopsis amabilis (L.) Blume
- Published (this combination)
- Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 294 (1825)
- Basionym
- Epidendrum amabile L., Sp. Pl.: 953 (1753)
- Genus
- Phalaenopsis Blume · Orchidaceae
- Common names
- moon orchid
- Native range
- Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Maluku, New Guinea, Philippines, Queensland, Sulawesi, Sumatera
- Subspecies
- 3
- Databases
- POWO · IPNI · WCVP · Catalogue of Life · GBIF
Identification
Typical flowers of P. amabilis are white with broad petals, the details of the lip standing out against the pure white petals. It should be kept apart from the similar P. aphrodite: both contributed to large white hybrids, and telling them apart needs the lip, the column and the provenance of the plant; a photograph of a white flower cannot show which one it is.
Name history
The name goes back to Epidendrum amabile, published by Linnaeus in 1753; in 1825 Blume transferred it to Phalaenopsis. The author citation records this: the name in parentheses is the original author, the one outside made the new combination. The table lists the homotypic synonyms in WCVP with their places of publication.
| Name | Published in |
|---|---|
| Phalaenopsis amabilis (L.) Blume | Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind.: 294 (1825) |
| Cymbidium amabile (L.) Roxb. | Fl. Ind., ed. 1832. 3: 457 (1832) |
| Epidendrum amabile L. | Sp. Pl.: 953 (1753) |
| Synadena amabilis (L.) Raf. | Fl. Tellur. 4: 9 (1838) |
Subspecies
WCVP accepts the following subspecies. Many historical names sit under them: Phalaenopsis grandiflora, common in the florilegia, is now a synonym of subsp. amabilis.
| Subspecies | Published in | Native range | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phalaenopsis amabilis subsp. amabilis | autonym | Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatera | 23
|
| Phalaenopsis amabilis subsp. moluccana (Schltr.) Christenson | Phalaenopsis: a monograph: 189 (2001) | Borneo, Maluku, Sulawesi | 3
|
| Phalaenopsis amabilis subsp. rosenstromii (F.M.Bailey) Christenson | Phalaenopsis: a monograph: 190 (2001) | Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Queensland | 3
|
Distribution
WCVP records the species as native to 10 TDWG botanical regions.
Bismarck ArchipelagoBorneoJawaLesser Sunda Is.MalukuNew GuineaPhilippinesQueenslandSulawesiSumatera
Historic plates and the names printed on them
Plates carry the name in use at the time. Using the WCVP synonymy and misapplied names, the table maps each printed name to the current species or subspecies.
| Printed name · source | Current name | |
|---|---|---|
| Phalaenopsis amabilis Curtis's Botanical Magazine · 4297 · 1847 | Phalaenopsis amabilis (L.) Blume species only; no subspecies stated |
 | Phalaenopsis grandiflora Curtis's Botanical Magazine · 5184 · 1860 | Phalaenopsis amabilis subsp. amabilis WCVP synonym: Phalaenopsis grandiflora Lindl. |
 | Phalaenopsis grandiflora（正文） A Second Century of Orchidaceous Plants · Pl. 114 · 1867 | Phalaenopsis amabilis subsp. amabilis WCVP synonym: Phalaenopsis grandiflora Lindl. |
 | Phalaenopsis grandiflora The Orchid Album · Pl. 277 · 1887 | Phalaenopsis amabilis subsp. amabilis WCVP synonym: Phalaenopsis grandiflora Lindl. |
 | Phalaenopsis grandiflora aurea Reichenbachia: Orchids Illustrated and Described · Tab. 11 · 1888 | Phalaenopsis amabilis subsp. amabilis WCVP synonym: Phalaenopsis grandiflora var. aurea R.Warner |
 | Phalaenopsis amabilis Bl. Die Orchideen von Java, Figuren-Atlas · fig. CDXVI–CDXVII · 1912 | Phalaenopsis amabilis (L.) Blume species only; no subspecies stated |
Horticulture and breeding
The moon orchid is one of the key wild species behind large white hybrids, though breeders also used other material. Commercial white cultivars have been crossed and selected for many generations, so petal overlap, substance, flower count and habit may differ markedly from the species; buy by the grex or cultivar on the label. Wild species may differ in seasonality and needs from the usual large-flowered hybrids.