P1050390 Miniature Phalaenopsis Orchids

Phalaenopsis amabilis orchids were first described as a species in 1753 by Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus, the “Father of Modern Taxonomy.” Re...
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Phalaenopsis amabilis orchids were first described as a species in 1753 by Swedish botanist and zoologist Carl Linnaeus, the “Father of Modern Taxonomy.” Referencing their native tree-dwelling habitat and pleasing appearance, Linnaeus called them Epidendrum amabile. During a mid-1750s voyage to China, Swedish naturalist Peter Osbeck, a Linnaeus apostle, is said to have inadvertently given Phalaenopsis orchids their common name, “moth orchid,” when he peered through his field glasses during a stop in Java and mistook a large cluster of Phalaenopsis orchids for a flurry of moths. It would be another 75 years before German-Dutch naturalist Carl Blume would give these stunning butterfly-shaped flowers their modern species name, Phalaenopsis amabilis; but they are still fondly called “moth orchids” by their many devoted fans.
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