Phalaenopsis tsii

Phalaenopsis tsii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Genus:	Phalaenopsis
Species:	P. tsii
Binomial name
Phalaenopsis tsii (M.H.Li, Z.J.Liu & S.R.Lan) Hua Deng, Z.J.Liu & Yan Wang
distribution of Phalaenopsis tsii
Synonyms
Hygrochilus tsii M.H.Li, Z.J.Liu & S.R.Lan

Phalaenopsis tsii is a species of orchid native to Southeast China. The specific epithet tsii honours Zhan-huo Tsi, who discovered Phalaenopsis subparishii. It has only been known from Mount Shunhuang in Hunan, China.

Description

The stems are 0.7-1.2 cm long and bear distichously arranges leaves of 7–10 cm in length and 2.4-3.3 cm in width. The inflorescences are 6–9.5 cm long and they produce flowers with greenish base colouration and brown spotting on the adaxial surface of the petals and sepals. The flowers are spurred, like all other members of the subgenus Hygrochilus. The spur is horn-shaped and 1.3-1.5 cm long. The androecium consists of four pollinia, which are arranged in two equal pairs. This is a characteristic shared by the very similar Phalaenopsis subparishii, from which it differs due to the smaller size, the larger white labellum in addition to the longer spur and column of Phalaenopsis tsii.

Ecology

This species if found growing epipytically on tree trunks in forests at elevations of 1200–1850 m.

Conservation

This species is protected unter the CITES appendix II regulations of international trade.