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East-Asian Moth Orchid
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East-Asian Moth Orchid
P Native Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: East-Asian Moth Orchid, Parish's Vandopsis • Manipuri: ꯀ꯭ꯋꯥꯛꯂꯩ ꯅꯥꯊꯕꯤ Kwaklei naathabi
Botanical name: Phalaenopsis marriottiana    Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Synonyms: Hygrochilus parishii, Vanda parishii, Hygrochilus mariottiana

East-Asian Moth Orchid is a large, warm to hot growing, orchid growing on trees. It was first discovered by Charles Parish in Burma (Myanmar) in 1862, and is named after him. The plant has a short, stout stem carrying elliptic-oblong, unequally, obtusely bilobed or deeply notched leaves. The plant blooms on an axillary, 1.5 ft long, 5 to several flowered inflorescence with ovate-elliptic, pointed or nearly pointed, cuculate bracts and fragrant heavy textured, long lasting flowers. The inflorescence is longer than the leaves. Flowers are 3.5-5 cm across. The typical flowers have yellow to yellow-green sepals and petals that are whitish towards the base, and are densely blotched red-brown. The lip is purple with a paler base and margins. East-Asian Moth Orchid is found in Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and NE India, in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests on limestone cliffs or in primary montane forests at altitudes up to 1300 m.

Identification credit: R.K. Nimai Singh Photographed in Imphal, Manipur.

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