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Phalaenopsis schilleriana (Rchb.f. 1860)
 
 
 
Schiller's Phalaenopsis
 
 
Distribution : Philippines, Luzon and adjacent islands
 
 
Principal synonyms

Phalaenopsis schilleriana var.viridi-maculata (Ducharte 1862)

 Phalaenopsis schilleriana var.delicata (Dean 1877)

Phalaenopsis schilleriana var.splendens (Warner 1878)

 Phalaenopsis schilleriana var.major (J.D.Hook 1886)

Phalaenopsis schilleriana var.compacta nana (Hort. 1890)

 Phalaenopsis curnowiana (Hort. 1891)

Phalaenopsis schilleriana var.purpurea (O'Brien. 1892)

 Phalaenopsis schilleriana var.odorata (Van Brero 1935)

Phalaenopsis schilleriana var.grandiflora (Van Brero 1935)

  
 
     Stem very short, completely enclosed by imbricating leaf-sheaths.
     Roots long, fleshy, flattened, gray, more or less granulous, of a brown/greenish at the tip.
     Leaves usually rather many, very spread out, falling down, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, long from 25 to 50 cm, with higher face of a dark green marbled of transverse bands silvery-white very irregularly cut out, with lower face of a brown/red with many small points. Broad from 7 to 12 cm.
      Flower stalk ascending or sub-ascending, thin, cylindrical, of brown reddish with clearer punctuations, more or less ramified, being able to exceed one meter length and to carry 250 flowers or more.
      Bracts triangular, clearer than the stalk.
      Some specimens give flowers delicately scented, broad from 6 to 8 cm. Sepals very spread out of beautiful pink/mauve tinted of white, especially over the edges, more constant towards the center of the flower, dorsal sepal oblong-elliptic acute or obtuse, lateral sepals obovate-lanceolate and a little acute, punctuated of purple in their half basilaire intern part. Very spread out petals, of the same color than dorsal sepal, but three times broader, subrhomboid, rounded, obtuse. The sepals are dorsally darker than the petals.
     Lip with prominent claw almost as long as the sepals, deeply 3-lobed. Lateral lobes obovate-oblong, obtuse, sickle-shaped, curved, white tinted of yellow and mackled of red in the posterior lower part and of pink on the front of this same lower part. White or rosy and punctuated midlobe, ovate, gradually narrowed towards the an emarginate apex a little dilated laterally in two horns acute and bent anchor-shaped. Disc between lateral lobes presenting a strongly projecting callus, divided at the top into two divergent lobes, yellow punctuated of red.
   Column purplished, semi-cylindrical.
   Pedicellate ovary of 4 cm.		  
Lip and callus of Phalaenopsis schilleriana (Sweet)
 
Observations
 
    Flowering from February to April.
    The color of the floral parts is very variable in intensity. The plants growing at higher altitude are more coloured generally than those which grow on the sea level. The cut flowers of Phalaenopsis schilleriana are rather ephemeral. This defect is not found in his numerous hybrids.
    The plant is camouflaged very easily in the vegetation thanks to its marbled foliage. It is visible only during flowering. It is found on the wooded and wet slopes, until an altitude of 400m.
    According to specialists, the perfume of Phalaenopsis schilleriana, varies from rose to lily of the valley or to daphne mixed with violet. All the specimens do not appear scented.
 
History
 
    Introduced from Manila in 1859 by Schiller, consul of Hamburg, who obtained the plant in 1858 from Mr Marius Porte who collected the plants for Linden. Only one plant flowers and survived on a batch of 30 subjects.

     The first mention of this plant would be of Seeman in Bonplandia of June 1856. One finds a note there on a plant of the Linden establishments in Brussels which could be referred to Phalaenopsis schilleriana.
     This orchid could be considered for one of most beautiful and most spectacular. One specimen could carrying more than 400 flowers. This Phalaenopsis flowers for the first time in England only in 1862, but since 1860 unflowered specimens were negotiated for 100 Guineas. In 1875, a very beautiful specimens cost 32 Guineas, like that bought by Sir Trevor Lawrence in an auction sale. This plant which belonged then to Lady Ashburton had been used as subject of illustration for the Gardener' s Chronicle with three floral stalk respectively carrying 96, 108 and 174 flowers.
      More information in the Orchid Review 1940 and Journal des Orchidées de Lucien Linden 1892
 
 
Botanical varieties
     Phalaenopsis schilleriana var immaculata (Rchb.f 1875)
     Synonymous: Phalaenopsis schilleriana subvar. immaculata (Veitch 1891), Phalaenopsis curnowiana (Hort 1891)
     This variety arises without spot. The callus is pure yellow, lateral lobes of lip pure white bordered of mauve.
 
     Phalaenopsis Schilleriana var.splendens (Warner 1878)
     Recognizable with its larger flowers and the regular marblings of the foliage. Variety not currently recognized.
 
Average temperature humidity and pluviometry, evolution relating to the Philippines at an altitude of 250 meters (area of Manilla)