Phalaenopsis violacea Witte 1861
SUBGENUS Phalaenopsis SECTION Polychilos [Breda] Rchb.f
Photo by © Nik Fahmi
Common Name The Violet Phalaenopsis
Flower Size 1.4" [3.5 cm]
Found in the Malaya peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra at elevations of sea level to 150 meters as a small to medium sized, hot growing, pendulous epiphyte with a very short stem carrying 3 to 4, elliptical, obtuse, undulate gradually narrowing below into the basally clasping leaves that varies from P bellina by being smaller leafed and with smaller flowers, as well as being easier to cross breed but the results are not as good as with P bellina which is a reluctant breeder from Borneo. P violaceae has extremely fragrant flowers occuring in the spring that are borne one by one in succession on a pendant, stout, jointed, fractiflex, 4 to 5 " [10 to 12.5 cm] long inflorescence with a flattened, zigzag rachis with several [2 to 7], successive, spicy cinnamon scented flowers with 2 to 3 open at any one time
This species is used to give fragrance in the hybridizing of Phalaeenopsis. This species requires deep shade and high humidity as well as being watered regularly and should never be allowed to dry out completely.
Synonyms Phalaenopsis violacea f. coerulea Christenson 2001; Phalaenopsis violacea f. alba (Teijsm. & Binn.) Christenson 2001; Phalaenopsis violacea subvar. alba (Teijsm. & Binn.) A.H.Kent 1891; Phalaenopsis violacea var. alba Teijsm. & Binn. 1862 Polychilos violacea (hort. ex H. Witte) Shim 1982; Stauritis violacea [Witte] Rchb.f 1862; Stauropsis violacea Rchb. f. 1862;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1862 as Stauropsis violacea; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 in part photo ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 37 No 11 1968 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 No 1 1969 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 9 1970 photo fidfe; Orchid Digest No 36 No 1 1972 as P violacea var murtoniana photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 38 #4 1974 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 #8 1978; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 #2 1979 photo ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 No 3 1980 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 #8 1980 photo fide; The Genus Phalaenopsis Sweet 1980 drawing/photo fide; The Genus Phalaenopsis Sweet 1980 as P violacea var alba photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 7 1983 photo fide; ; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 # 8 1985 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 4 1987 photo fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 19/20 1129 - 1264 Brieger 1988 as Malaya type; Orchid Species Culture "P" Bakers 1991; The Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia and Singapore Seidenfaden & Wood 1992 drawing fide; Orchids of Malaya Segerback 1992 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 62 #3 1993 photo not = P bellina; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994 not = P bellina AOS Bulletin Vol 67 #3 1998 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 68 #8 1999 not = P bellina; AOS Bulletin Vol 69 No 4 2000 photo not = P bellina; Phalaenopsis, A Monograph EA Christenson 2001 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 66 #4 2002 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 8 2004 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 72 #2 2008 as P violacee f coerula photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 8 2008 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 78 No 1 2009 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 74 #2 2010 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #6 2011 pollinia only photo fide; A to Z of South East Asian Orchid Species Vol 2 O'Byrne 2011 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 77 #4 2013 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #6 2015 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #12 2015 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #7 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #8 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #11 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #8 2017 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #9 2017 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 87 #10 2018 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #5 2019 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #4 2019 Photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #11 2019 photo fide;
Phalaenopsis violacea f. alba (Teijsm. & Binn.) Christenson 2001 Photo by © Rogier van Vugt and his P Base Orchid Photo Page
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
AOS Bulletin Voll 38 #1 1969 as P violacea var alba; Orchid Digest Vol 38 #4 1974 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 #8 1980 photo fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 19/20 1129 - 1264 Brieger 1988; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 #2 2004 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 78 #4 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #5 2017 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #4 2019 Photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 89 #2 2020 photo fide
Phalaenopsis violacea f coerulea Christ 2001 Photo by © Nik Fahmi
A blue colored variety of the previous species.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Phalaenopsis A Monograph E A Christenson 2001
AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 5 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #5 2010 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 81 #7 2012 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #11 2016 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #4 2019 Photo fide
Phalaenopsis violacea var. mentawai H.Witte 1861 Photos by Nik Fahmi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
