Phaius tankervilleae (Banks ex L'Hér.) Blume
Nun's Orchid
Facts About
Accepted Synonyms: Bletia tankervilleae, Limodorum spectabile
Phaius tankervilleae, commonly known as the Nun’s Orchid, is distributed throughout northeastern Australia, southeastern Asia, and the Pacific Islands. It is also naturalized in many places in the tropics, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, Florida and Hawaii. This introduced orchid has 2-8 plicate leaves similar to palm leaves and blooms in March through May. The inflorescence has 10-35 spectacular flowers that are 4-5 cm in size with an exterior color of white and interior of brownish purple. The purple pink lip is suffused with maroon and has a yellow spur. This species is a popular orchid in cultivation and has naturalized in several habitats, including dense swamps, bayheads and hardwood hammocks.
The conservation status of Phaius tankervilleae has not been determined.
Pollination
Bees
Ecosystem Type
Bogs, forests, swamps, woodlands
Characteristics
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Leaf arrangement:
- basal
- Number of leaves on stem:
- six
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is pouch-like
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is lobed
- Main color of labellum:
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- pink to red
- Nectar spur:
- present
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Labellum characteristics:
-
- the labellum has a spur
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum length:
- 50 mm
- Sepal length:
- 40–55 mm
-
Flowers
- Floral bract length:
- 30–40 mm
- Flower petal color:
-
- brown
- purple
- white
- Flower symmetry:
- the flower is zygomorphic
- Flowering date:
-
- March
- April
- May
- Flowers per inflorescence:
- 10–35
- Form of the labellum:
- the labellum is pouch-like
- Hairs on inflorescence axis:
- the inflorescence stem is hairless
- Inflorescence length:
- 500–1300 mm
- Inflorescence type:
- the inflorescence is a raceme
- Labellum characteristics:
-
- the labellum has a spur
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum length:
- 50 mm
- Labellum outline:
- the labellum is lobed
- Labellum position:
- the flowers are resupinate
- Lower petal strongly red-veined:
- no
- Main color of labellum:
-
- blue to purple
- green to brown
- pink to red
- Nectar spur:
- present
- Nectar spur length:
- 6–8 mm
- Number of stamens:
- 1
- Orientation of side petals:
-
- the lateral petals are ascending
- the lateral petals are spreading
- Pollen sacs:
- the pollinia remain intact and do not fragment into smaller parts
- Self-pollinating flowers:
- there are cleistogamous flowers
- Sepal length:
- 40–55 mm
- Sepals fused only to sepals:
- the sepals are separate from one another
- Spots on labellum:
- no
-
Fruits or seeds
- Fruit length:
- Up to 60 mm
- Seed capsule orientation:
- the capsule bends downwards
-
Growth form
- Roots:
- the rhizomes are non-coralloid
- Underground organs:
- this plant has a rhizome
- myco-heterotrophic or not:
- the plant is chlorophyllous
-
Leaves
- Bract relative length:
- the bract is shorter than the associated flower
- Features of leaves:
- the leaf is pleated along its length
- Leaf arrangement:
- basal
- Leaf blade length:
- 300–1200 mm
- Leaf blade length to width ratio:
- 6–4.8
- Leaf blade shape:
- lanceolate
- Leaf blade tip:
- the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate
- Leaf blade width:
- 50–250 mm
- Leaves during flowering:
- leaves are present during flowering
- Number of leaves on stem:
- six
-
Place
- Ecosystem type:
-
- bogs
- forests
- swamps
- woodlands
- Habitat:
- terrestrial
- Location:
-
- Florida
- Hawaii
-
Facts and Uses
- Mycorrhiza
- Monitoring
- Propagation
- Restoration
Native to North America
No
North American Conservation Status & Distribution
Conservation Status
Conservation and Wetland Status | |
---|---|
Global Rank | N/A |
US Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | N/A |
Conservation status for: Florida | |
---|---|
Global Rank | N/A |
US Status | N/A |
Florida Rank | N/A |
Florida Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | N/A |
Wetland Status | Facultative Upland |
Conservation status for: Hawaii | |
---|---|
Global Rank | N/A |
US Status | N/A |
Hawaii Rank | N/A |
Hawaii Status | N/A |
Canadian Status | N/A |
Wetland Status | N/A |