Phaius australis - Orchid Board

OrchidLover1982 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-09-2008, 05:52 AM

Here are a couple of pics of Phaius australis. The Australian Swamp Orchid. Not the best pics. The flowers have been chewed on somewhat by insect pests but at least you can get an idea of the flower. Different to tankervilleae in that the flowers are usually a darker colour with striations on them and the patterns on the labellum are also different. The flower tends to face horizontal to upward rather than downward facing like tankervilleae. Also the labellum does not usually cover the column, but this is not always the case. Hope you all enjoy.

peace

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pheli · #2 (**permalink**) 09-09-2008, 09:38 AM

Gorgeous! I love it.

Chubidubi · #3 (**permalink**) 09-09-2008, 09:54 AM

I LOVE IT!!! It's soooo beautiful! Thanks for the pic and the info.

tuvoc · #4 (**permalink**) 09-09-2008, 10:19 AM

Absolutely fantastic!

Kim

Dorothy · #5 (**permalink**) 09-09-2008, 10:25 AM

It's a beauty even munched on

I love the deeper coloration and striations and also that lip!
Oh that lip!
A keeper!

OrchidLover1982 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-09-2008, 04:54 PM

yeah its a real beauty

this is its first flowering for me and i'm quite pleased. I have pollinated a few flowers to produce some seed. These plants are endangered so i think getting some seed flasked would be a good idea to help conserve them. Most of their habitat (>95%) has been destroyed for development. Here is another pic of a fully opened, unblemished flower.

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OrchidLover1982 · #7 (**permalink**) 09-16-2008, 06:12 PM

a couple more pics for you all. Just to see how different it is to tankervilleae. Tankervilleae is said to grow in Australia but it is doubtful and most likely all of the phaius in Australia are in fact australis. Most of the tankervilleae in cultivation here were probably early imports now being labelled as natives when in fact they are not.

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tuvoc · #8 (**permalink**) 09-16-2008, 06:28 PM

That is just awesome! Wonder if it's available here in the US.

Kim

Dorothy · #9 (**permalink**) 09-16-2008, 06:40 PM

Gorgeous

SueK · #10 (**permalink**) 09-21-2008, 08:17 AM

Hi Orchid Lover

Your Phaius are gorgeous. They are spectactular plants. I was at the Native Orchid Society Show in Toowoomba on the weekend and they were selling Phaius there for $50 each. They were beaut plants in excellent condition. I had never seen one before. One guy on our bus bought one, and he said you don't see them around much. I would be a bit scared to touch them because I imagine they would be a bit fussy seeing they are "swamp orchids". Hope yours go well. The large group on display at Toowoomba were spectactular.

Sue