Phalaenopsis amabilis

Biggets Plant Dictionary | Phalaenopsis amabilis | Family: Orchidaceae, Genus: Phalaenopsis, Species: amabilis, Plants of this genus have a uniform structure that makes the identification easy for novice botanists. Phalaenopsis amabilis, like most of the other species in this genus, has a short stem. This is believed to be an adaptation to gain the light requirements needed to grow, according to Christenson.
The rooting of P. amabilis is usually unbranched. The only times it would be branched are if the roots are damaged or if the individual has gotten old in age. The leaves of P. amabilis vary from oblong to elliptic at the base and obtuse, minutely, at the tip or apex and measures at 50 × 10 cm. The moon orchid's flower is showy, membranous, white, the lip, (the unpared petals of an orchid) which is three-lobed, and the callus are a variety of yellow and red depending on the individual plant. It is able to bloom for a long period of time and can grow up to 10 cm in diameter and more.

Temperature
Phalaenopsis prefers a temperature of between 20°C and 22°C. The minimum temperature for the plant is 16°C.

Phalaenopsis amabilis

In the wild, in a tropical climate, Phalaenopsis gets a lot of water to deal with in a short space of time, and then nothing for a while. The advice is therefore to immerse the pot in water for about 1 minute once every 7 to 10 days. After immersion allow the plant to drain thoroughly, so that the excess water can run out. It is best to use rain water: tap water often contains too much calcium and minerals. If you do not have access to rain water, the best thing is to boil the tap water first. The ideal temperature for the water is room temperature. In the winter months when the heating is on it is a good idea to spray the plant with water regularly, in order to ensure that the humidity does not drop too low. Air that is too dry is not good for the plant.