Phalaenopsis

Kocyan, Alexander & Schuiteman, André, 2014, New combinations in Aeridinae (Orchidaceae), Phytotaxa 161 (1), pp. 61-85 : 66

PHALAENOPSIS

Phalaenopsis Blume (1825: 294) . Type species: Phalaenopsis amabilis ( L.) Blume

Polychilos Breda (1827 , t. s.n.). Type species: Polychilos cornu-cervi Breda

Doritis Lindley (1833: 178) . Type species: Doritis pulcherrima Lindl.

Synadena Rafinesque (1836 , publ. 1838: 9). Type species: Synadena amabilis ( L.) Raf .

Stauroglottis Schauer (1843: 432) . Type species: Stauroglottis equestris Schauer

Polystylus Hasskarl (1856: 3) . Type species: Polystylus cornu-cervi (Breda) Hassk.

Stauritis Reichenbach (1862: 34) . Type species: Stauritis violacea (Hort. Bogor ex Witte) Rchb. f.

Ornithochilus (Lindl.) Wall. ex Benth. in Bentham & Hooker (1883: 478) Type species: Ornithochilus difformis (Wall. ex Lindl.) Schltr.

Hygrochilus Pfitzer in Engler & Prantl (1897: 112). Type species: Hygrochilus parishii (Rchb.f.) Pfitzer

Kingiella Rolfe (1917b: 197) . Type species: Kingiella taenialis (Lindl.) Rolfe

Grafia Hawkes (1966: 305) . Type species: Grafia parishii (Rchb.f.) Hawkes

Kingidium Hunt (1970: 97) . Type species: Kingidium taeniale (Lindl.) P.F.Hunt

Sedirea Garay & Sweet (1974: 149) Type species: Sedirea japonica (Linden & Rchb. f.) Garay & H.R.Sweet.

Lesliea Seidenfaden (1988: 190) . Type species: Lesliea mirabilis Seidenf.

Nothodoritis Tsi (1989: 58) . Type species: Nothodoritis zhejiangensis Z.H.Tsi

Grussia M.Wolff in Wolff & Gruss (2007: 165). Type species: Grussia appendiculata (Carr) M.Wolff

The phylogenetics of Phalaenopsis has been thoroughly investigated in DNA studies ( Padolina et al. 2005; Yukawa et al. 2005; Tsai et al. 2010). On the basis of these, a tentative revised classification of Phalaenopsis was proposed by Cribb & Schuiteman (2012), but this did not consider how to handle relationships of other genera not previously thought to be close relatives of Phalaenopsis . Unexpectedly, a relatively major change is still required. Based on more recent molecular results, we here propose to merge three additional genera with Phalaenopsis : Hygrochilus , Ornithochilus and Sedirea . Until now, these were not considered to be particularly closely related to Phalaenopsis – especially given the striking differences in floral morphology, for example, in Ornithochilus – but the short stems and the relatively few, broad leaves appear to be synapomorphies. In addition, a central raised crest is often present on the lip, whereas the column is usually relatively long and slender and curved ( Fig. 1D ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Selected flower images of the newly combined taxa to illustrate floral diversity among Aeridinae. A, Brachypeza unguiculata; B, Dimorphorchis breviscapa; C, Grosourdya myosurus; D, Phalaenopsis difformis; E, Renanthera caloptera; F, Thrixspermum breviscapum; G, Robiquetia punctata; H, Robiquetia minimiflora; I, Renanthera porphyrodesme; J, Taeniophyllum javanicum; K, Trachoma phillipsii; L, Trichoglottis biglandulosa; M, Trichoglottis ventricularis. Photographs by A. Kocyan (A, B, D, E, G–M), P. O’Byrne (C) and P.T. Ong (F).