The genus ''Paraphalaenopsis'', abbreviated as Prphln in horticultural trade, is a member of the orchid family (

Orchidaceae Orchids are plants that belong to the family (biology), family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan plants that ...

), consisting of 4 species

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...

and one natural (unconfirmed) hybrid, '' Paraphalaenopsis × thorntonii'' (''P. denevei'' × ''P. serpentilingua''). Named by American botanist Alex Drum Hawkes. They are morphologically similar to ''

Phalaenopsis ''Phalaenopsis'' (), also known as moth orchids, is a genus of about seventy species of plants in the family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus are monopodial epiphytes or lithophytes with long, coarse roots, short, leafy stems and long-lastin ...

'' and were a long time considered as species of that genus. Their flowers are similar, but the leaves of ''Paraphalaenopsis'' are cylindrical and long (from 35 cm up to 3m in cultivation). This latter measurement belongs to the "rat-tail orchid" (''P. labukensis'') with a maximum length of 3.05 meters (ten feet); the greatest length of any orchid leaf. These leaves resemble the leaves of the

Holcoglossum ''Holcoglossum'' (''Holc.'') is a genus of orchids, in the family Orchidaceae. It is native from Assam Province, Assam through mainland China to Taiwan and Indo-China. Description All species of this genus are perennial epi- or lithophytes and a ...

. These are

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

s that bloom in early spring.

Species

References

Vandeae genera Aeridinae Epiphytic orchids {{Vandeae-stub