Phaius of Bhutan

In August 2015, Stig Dalström, Dhan Bahadur Gurung, Choki Gyeltshen and Nima Gyeltshen published an article in the Orchids Magazine of the American Orchid Society AOS: “Orchids of Bhutan. The genus Phaius.”

According to this article there are four species of Phaius occuring in Bhutan. First to be mentioned is Phaius flavus, often alternatively named Phaius maculatus or Phaius somai. This up to one meter tall Phaius often grows in places that are rather shady and humid. The roots are buried deeply in a humus-rich leaf mulch. Stig Dalström and authors already speculate in this article that the whitish spots on the leaves are likely to be inherited. In Bhutan Phaius flavus grows in tropical to subtropical, seasonally extremely wet areas in warmer to intermediate conditions.

Phaius somai by Eike Jauch

The second Phaius found in Bhutan is Phaius mishmensis. Its stem can reach a height of up to 1 meter. The flowers often do not fully open and emerge from the side of the stem on erect few-flowered racemes. It grows under similar conditions as Phaius maculatus and in some areas they occur sympatric.

20180922 Phaius mishmensis

The well known Phaius tankervilleae is the third Phaius to be found in Bhutan. It is sometimes called Phaius grandifolius and can be found under this name in trade. In their article the authors make some interesting remarks that make it likely that the original Phaius grandifolius was a Phaius wallichii rather than a Phaius tankervilleae.

Phaius Phajus tankervilleae 2 by Eike Jauch

The flowers of Phaius tankervilleae have a very short and rather straight spur. In contrast, flowers of Phaius wallichii have a rather long and distinctly curved spur. Phaius wallichii is the fourth Phaius found in Bhutan. Both species are closely sympatric in Bhutan.

Phaius wallichii 'Jacky' by Eike Jauch

Near the village of Saleng a Phaius of extraordinary vigor was collected in 2010 . This Phaius plant well might be a natural hybrid of Phaius tankervilleae and Phaius wallichii. It flowered in 2014 and its flowers are suspiciously intermediate between Phaius wallichii and Phaius tankervilleae. This plant can now be found in the Royal Botanical Garden in Serbithang.

Read more about Phaius wallichii on my blog:

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2018/05/10/phaius-wallichii-als-kreuzungspartner/

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/nathaniel-wallich/

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/der-zahn-der-zeit-verblassende-schoenheit/

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/eine-weitere-varietaet-der-phaius-wallichii/

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/phaius-wallichii/

Read more about Phaius flavus on my blog:

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2019/12/06/phaius-federsee-a-new-phaius-hybrid/

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/phaius-flavus-is-an-orchid-host-of-sclerotium-rolfsii/

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2019/08/05/hybridization-programme-using-phaius-tankervilleae-and-phaius-flavus/

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2019/08/01/phaius-of-java/

https://prachtorchideen.wordpress.com/2019/06/10/white-leave-spots-of-phaius-flavus-var-maculatus-can-be-inhereted/