Moth orchids
Moth orchids
Phalaenopsis
Plantae
COMMON

Stats

Lifespan
10-20 yrs
Size
Small
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Tropical rainforest
Range
Southeast Asia
Movement
Sessile
Breeding
Seeds
Defense
Camouflage
Status
Common

About

Moth orchids, also known as Phalaenopsis, are a genus of about seventy species of plants in the family Orchidaceae. Orchids in this genus are monopodial epiphytes or lithophytes with long, coarse roots, short, leafy stems and long-lasting, flat flowers arranged in a flowering stem that often branches near the end.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    seed
    A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
  2. 2.
    sprout
    A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
  3. 3.
    sapling
    A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
  4. 4.
    mature
    Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Family
Orchidaceae
Genus
Phalaenopsis