Chinese Ground Orchid

Appearance

"Phaius tankervilleae" is an evergreen, terrestrial herb that has cone shaped or more or less spherical pseudobulbs mostly 60–80 mm long and 30–60 mm wide. Between two and eight pleated linear to lance-shaped leaves 300–1,000 mm long and 80–200 mm wide develop from the pseudobulb. Between ten and twenty five resupinate flowers 70–125 mm wide are borne on a flowering stem 500–2,000 mm tall. The flowers are whitish on the outside and reddish brown inside. The sepals and petals are oblong to lance-shaped, 40–65 mm long and 10–15 mm wide. The labellum is pink or reddish with a white tip and white stripes inside, 35–60 mm long and 20–50 mm wide with three lobes. The middle lobe is more or less tube-shaped and the side lobes have wavy or crinkled edges. There is a whitish yellow spur 5–10 mm long near the base of the labellum and a narrow raised callus in its centre. Flowering occurs from September to November in Australia and from March to June in Asia.

Naming

It was named for Lady Tankerville who owned the greenhouse where the first orchid flowered. It was the first tropical orchid to flower in England.

Distribution

"Phaius tankervilleae" grows in swampy forest or grassland. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent, New Guinea, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia and certain islands of the Pacific. It is also naturalised in Hawaii, Panama, the West Indies and Florida.

In Australia it is found as "P. tankervilleae" var. "australis" as far south as Yamba, New South Wales. and further north in tropical Queensland. While rare in parts of its native habitat, it is present in other parts of the world as a naturalised species, including Hawaii and Florida.

Status

"Phaius tankervilleae" var. "australis", as "Phaius australis", is listed as endangered with possible extinction within the country. It is threatened by trampling by stock, and by illegal collecting, weeds and drainage of its habitat.

Habitat

"Phaius tankervilleae" grows in swampy forest or grassland. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent, New Guinea, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia and certain islands of the Pacific. It is also naturalised in Hawaii, Panama, the West Indies and Florida.

In Australia it is found as "P. tankervilleae" var. "australis" as far south as Yamba, New South Wales. and further north in tropical Queensland. While rare in parts of its native habitat, it is present in other parts of the world as a naturalised species, including Hawaii and Florida.

Cultural

Identification of the genus "Phaius" is a particularly challenging and difficult task. Many plants are incorrectly labeled in nurseries or misidentified by professionals and authors. An easily grown plant in cultivation. It prefers semi shade. Propagation is achieved from seed or by the cutting of the base clump of the plant. The large flowers occur in spring. Also, flower stem node propagation brings success. Where after flowering, the scape is either laid whole or in sections on a medium such as "Sphagnum" moss or stood in a container of water. Plantlets emerge from the nodes, and when large enough are removed and potted up.