Phalaenopsis sections Aphyllae & Parishianae
Deciduous miniature phalaenopsis — what's here, what's ordered, and what's still hiding in Europe.
Deciduous and semi-deciduous miniature Phalaenopsis from the Himalayan foothills to northern Borneo. Sections Aphyllae (cold-tolerant, fully leafless in winter) and Parishianae (semi-deciduous SE Asian) are sometimes merged in modern treatments; I keep them separate because cultural requirements differ.
Already in the collection
- Section Aphyllae s.s.: P. wilsonii (alive); P. braceana (lost)
- Section Parishianae: P. finleyi, P. gibbosa, P. lowii, P. parishii — all alive
- Just arrived (April 2026): P. stobartiana from Claessen Orchids — €32.65 plant + cold-pack shipping = €62 total
Currlin — priority order
Vendor: Currlin Orchideen (Germany) — currlin.com/en Plants total: €32–48 + shipping
| Species | € | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| P. lobbii | 16 | Obvious gap — showiest Parishianae, bold yellow-cream flowers with a marked lip; flowering size, mounted |
| P. honghenensis | 16 | True section Aphyllae, fills the sectional gap left by braceana; Yunnan endemic, rarely offered |
| P. lobbii f. flava × self (optional) | 16 | Yellow form — secondary, budget permitting |
Why Currlin: cheapest per plant (€16 versus €25–33 elsewhere), already flowering-size, mounted — his preferred culture for miniatures — and a single shipment saves repeated cold-pack fees.
Celandroni — watchlist (out of stock)
Vendor: Giulio Celandroni Orchidee, Pisa — celandroni.myshopify.com Status: Both species listed but sold out as of 2026-04-10.
| Species | € | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| P. braceana | 21.81 | Replace the lost #335 — true section Aphyllae, well-shaped pink flowers, worth a second attempt |
| P. appendiculata | 25.45 | Rare Bornean Parishianae, unlikely to find elsewhere in Europe |
Italian vendor, cheap shipping to Genova — re-check after spring shows.
Orchibias — watchlist (out of stock)
Vendor: Orchibias (orchidsforeurope.com) — Taiwan imports
| Species | € | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| P. lobbii var. Orange × sib | 29.95 | Unusual orange form; opportunistic buy only — flask-grown, slow to bloom |
Not currently available in Europe
- P. taenialis — leafless habit with photosynthetic roots, genuinely rare in trade; Asian exporters or orchid shows.
- P. malipoensis — recently described Yunnan/Vietnam species, almost never offered commercially.
- P. minus, P. hainanensis — occasionally from Asian specialists, not in any checked European vendor.
Other vendors checked (nothing in stock)
- Schwerter Orchideenzucht — P. lobbii listed, availability unconfirmed.
- Roellke Orchideen — P. lobbii and P. stobartiana listed, availability unconfirmed.
- Claessen Orchids (orchids-shop.com) — P. stobartiana only, already bought.
Taxonomy footnote
Christenson keeps Aphyllae and Parishianae strictly separate — Aphyllae being the cold-tolerant Himalayan/Chinese deciduous group, Parishianae the semi-deciduous SE Asian group. Modern treatments often merge them. The intended scope here is the broader deciduous-miniature group, regardless of which classification wins.