Phalaenopsis malipoensis

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Phalaenopsis malipoensis is a rare orchid native to South-Central China and Vietnam. In Chinese it is called 麻栗坡蝴蝶兰 (ma li po hu die lan). The name malipoensis comes from Malipo, a biodiversity hotspot in Yunnan Province, China.

Description
- The plant has a short stem wrapped in leaf sheaths and 3–5 oblong leaves that are 4.5–7 cm long and 3–3.6 cm wide (1–2 leaves may stay through winter).
- From April to May, it produces white flowers (1.2–1.6 cm wide) with a yellow lip on 3–4 axillary racemes, each raceme bearing 3–4 flowers.
- The labellum has a callus with four slender, 3 mm long antennae.

Habitat
- In China it grows on trees in sparse forests and along forest margins at 600–1,300 m elevation.
- In Vietnam it is found in submontane evergreen broad-leaved humid forests on karst limestone at 1,000–1,100 m, under similar conditions.

Relationship to other species
- It is closely related to Phalaenopsis gibbosa. It can be told apart by its slender, straight rachis and narrow petals; gibbosa has broader petals and a firm, zigzag rachis.

Conservation and trade
- The species is rare, with an IUCN status of Data Deficient.
- International trade is regulated under CITES Appendix II.