Phajus Irroratus

Phaiocalanthe Irrorata was described in 1867 in “The Gardener’s chronicle and agricultural gazette”, page 264 as Phajus Irroratus:

“This is one of the beautiful evidences of Mr. Dominy’s unrivalled talent in hybridizing orchids in Messrs. Veitch’s Royal Exotic Nursery. According to the nomenclature of Wiegmann it must be called Phajus vestito-Tankervilleae, being an offspring of the so-called Calanthe vestita Wall. (Phaius vestitus, nobis) and Phajus Tankervilliae, R. Br.

 

The creamy white flowers are intermediate between its parents as regards their expansion. Both sepals and petals have a rosy hue over the limb, and there is a pale yellow hue ovr the disk of the lip. The sepals and petals are oblong lanceolate, apiculate, with very prominent median nerves.

The lip is nearly circular. There are three obscure keels on the base. The anterior part is somewhat crisp, and there are two folds in lieu of the lobes of Phajus vestitus. The spur is somewhat compressed and bilobed at the apex, hairy, as is also the stalked ovary. The column is club-shaped, trigonous, white, yellow inside at the base. H.G. Rchb. f.

 

The last figure is taken from “The Floral Magazine: Comprising Figures and Descriptions of Popular Garden Flowers, 1869, Vol VIII, plate 426″