244 Species in Genus Calanthe

September 23 – Calanthe
"Calanthe, the Christmas orchid, defines September 23."
Calanthe symbolizes elegance and festivity. You bring joy and celebration to any gathering. Like its delicate blooms, your beauty shines brightly.

Calanthe: An Orchid for All Seasons

My fascination with orchids began in my childhood, wandering through the vibrant markets of Hanoi, where vendors displayed a dazzling array of these exotic blooms. Among the many genera that caught my eye, Calanthe holds a special place in my heart. These terrestrial orchids, often called “Christmas orchids” or “Prayer Plants,” boast a diversity and beauty that continues to captivate me.

Calanthe belong to the Orchidaceae family, is a large genus, with somewhere 244 species. They’re found in tropical and subtropical regions across the globe, but Southeast Asia, in particular, is a hotspot for Calanthe diversity. This geographic preference makes them feel like a personal connection to my heritage.

What strikes me most about Calanthe is the sheer variety within the genus. Some are evergreen, their leaves a constant source of lush greenery, while others are deciduous, shedding their foliage in a seasonal rhythm. This deciduous characteristic is unusual among orchids and gives them a unique appeal. The leaves themselves are often large and pleated, adding a textural element to their beauty. But it’s the flowers that truly steal the show.

A Spectrum of Floral Delights

Calanthe flowers come in a breathtaking array of colors, from the purest white to vibrant yellows, oranges, pinks, and even deep purples. They’re often borne on tall, erect stems, creating a striking display. Some species have a delicate fragrance, adding another layer to their allure. The lip of the flower, a modified petal that serves as a landing platform for pollinators, often features intricate patterns and colors, further enhancing their beauty.

One of my favorite aspects of Calanthe is how they bridge the gap between the familiar and the exotic. While they possess the undeniable allure of orchids, their terrestrial habit makes them more approachable than their epiphytic cousins. They can be grown in pots or even in the ground, making them a versatile choice for gardens and homes.

Cultivating Calanthe: A Rewarding Challenge

Growing Calanthe can be a rewarding experience, though it requires some understanding of their specific needs. They prefer a well-draining medium, such as a mix of bark, perlite, and sphagnum moss. Watering needs vary depending on the species and whether it’s deciduous or evergreen. Deciduous Calanthe require a dry resting period when they lose their leaves, while evergreen species prefer consistent moisture.

Light is another crucial factor. Most Calanthe thrive in bright, indirect light, similar to what they would receive in their natural forest habitat. Direct sunlight can scorch their leaves, so it’s best to provide some shade during the hottest part of the day.

A Closer Look at Calanthe Species

The diversity of Calanthe is truly remarkable. Here are species that grace this genus:

1. Calanthe abbreviata (Blume) Lindl.
2. Calanthe aceras Schltr.
3. Calanthe alba W.Suarez & Cootes
4. Calanthe × albolilacina J.J.Sm.
5. Calanthe albolutea Ridl.
6. Calanthe alismifolia Lindl.
7. Calanthe alleizettei Gagnep.
8. Calanthe alpina Hook.f. ex Lindl.
9. Calanthe alta Rchb.f.
10. Calanthe angustifolia (Blume) Lindl.
11. Calanthe aquamarina Schuit. & de Vogel
12. Calanthe arcuata Rolfe
13. Calanthe arfakana J.J.Sm.
14. Calanthe argenteostriata C.Z.Tang & S.J.Cheng
15. Calanthe arisanensis Hayata
16. Calanthe aristulifera Rchb.f.
17. Calanthe aruank P.Royen
18. Calanthe aurantiaca Ridl.
19. Calanthe aureiflora J.J.Sm.
20. Calanthe balansae Finet
21. Calanthe baliensis J.J.Wood & J.B.Comber
22. Calanthe beamanii P.J.Cribb
23. Calanthe beleensis Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
24. Calanthe bicalcarata J.J.Sm.
25. Calanthe biloba Lindl.
26. Calanthe bingtaoi J.W.Zhai, L.J.Chen & Z.J.Liu
27. Calanthe bivalvis P.J.Cribb & Ormerod
28. Calanthe brassii Ormerod
29. Calanthe brevicornu Lindl.
30. Calanthe burkei P.J.Cribb
31. Calanthe calanthoides (A.Rich. & Galeotti) Hamer & Garay
32. Calanthe camptoceras Schltr.
33. Calanthe candida Bosser
34. Calanthe cardioglossa Schltr.
35. Calanthe carrii Govaerts
36. Calanthe caulescens J.J.Sm.
37. Calanthe caulodes J.J.Sm.
38. Calanthe ceciliae Rchb.f.
39. Calanthe celebica Rolfe
40. Calanthe chevalieri Gagnep.
41. Calanthe chloroleuca Lindl.
42. Calanthe chrysoglossoides J.J.Sm.
43. Calanthe clavata Lindl.
44. Calanthe clavicalcar J.J.Sm.
45. Calanthe claytonii P.J.Cribb
46. Calanthe coiloglossa Schltr.
47. Calanthe conspicua Lindl.
48. Calanthe coodei P.J.Cribb
49. Calanthe cootesii Naive
50. Calanthe cremeoviridis J.J.Wood
51. Calanthe crenulata J.J.Sm.
52. Calanthe crispifolia Ormerod
53. Calanthe cruciata Schltr.
54. Calanthe crumenata Ridl.
55. Calanthe crystallina P.J.Cribb
56. Calanthe curvatoascendens Gilli
57. Calanthe davaensis Ames
58. Calanthe davidii Franch.
59. Calanthe daymanensis Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
60. Calanthe decora M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
61. Calanthe delavayi Finet
62. Calanthe densiflora Lindl.
63. Calanthe devogelii P.J.Cribb & D.A.Clayton
64. Calanthe discolor Lindl.
65. Calanthe dolichopoda Fukuy.
66. Calanthe × dominyi Lindl.
67. Calanthe dulongensis H.Li, R.Li & Z.L.Dao
68. Calanthe duyana Aver.
69. Calanthe ecallosa J.J.Sm.
70. Calanthe ecarinata Rolfe ex Hemsl.
71. Calanthe emeishanica K.Y.Lang & Z.H.Tsi
72. Calanthe engleriana Kraenzl.
73. Calanthe epiphytica Carr
74. Calanthe fargesii Finet
75. Calanthe finisterrae Schltr.
76. Calanthe fissa L.O.Williams
77. Calanthe flava (Blume) C.Morren
78. Calanthe floresana P.J.Cribb
79. Calanthe forbesii Ridl.
80. Calanthe formosana Rolfe
81. Calanthe fragrans P.Royen
82. Calanthe francoisii (Schltr.) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
83. Calanthe fugongensis X.H.Jin & S.C.Chen
84. Calanthe geelvinkensis J.J.Sm.
85. Calanthe gibbsiae Rolfe
86. Calanthe goodenoughiana Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
87. Calanthe graciliflora Hayata
88. Calanthe graciliscapa Schltr.
89. Calanthe griffithii Lindl.
90. Calanthe habbemensis Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
91. Calanthe halconensis Ames
92. Calanthe hancockii Rolfe
93. Calanthe hattorii Schltr.
94. Calanthe henryi Rolfe
95. Calanthe herbacea Lindl.
96. Calanthe himalaicum Raskoti
97. Calanthe hirsuta Seidenf.
98. Calanthe hololeuca Rchb.f.
99. Calanthe hoshii S.Kobay.
100. Calanthe × hsinchuensis Y.I Lee
101. Calanthe humblotii (Rchb.f.) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
102. Calanthe hyacinthina Schltr.
103. Calanthe imthurnii Kores
104. Calanthe inflata Schltr.
105. Calanthe insularis S.H.Oh, H.J.Suh & C.W.Park
106. Calanthe izu-insularis (Satomi) Ohwi & Satomi
107. Calanthe johorensis Holttum
108. Calanthe judithiae P.J.Cribb
109. Calanthe jusnerii Boxall ex Náves
110. Calanthe kaniensis Schltr.
111. Calanthe kemulensis J.J.Sm.
112. Calanthe kermodei Ormerod & Kurzweil
113. Calanthe keshabii Lucksom
114. Calanthe kinabaluensis Rolfe
115. Calanthe kooshunensis Fukuy.
116. Calanthe labrosa (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f.
117. Calanthe lacerata Ames
118. Calanthe laciniata (Ormerod) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
119. Calanthe lambii P.J.Cribb
120. Calanthe lamellosa Rolfe
121. Calanthe lancilabris Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
122. Calanthe lechangensis Z.H.Tsi & Tang
123. Calanthe leonidii P.J.Cribb & D.A.Clayton
124. Calanthe leucosceptrum Schltr.
125. Calanthe leuseri P.J.Cribb
126. Calanthe ligo P.J.Cribb
127. Calanthe limprichtii Schltr.
128. Calanthe longgangensis Y.S.Huang & Yan Liu
129. Calanthe longibracteata Ridl.
130. Calanthe longifolia Schltr.
131. Calanthe longipes Hook.f.
132. Calanthe lutea (Ursch & Toill.-Gen. ex Bosser) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
133. Calanthe lyroglossa Rchb.f.
134. Calanthe madagascariensis Rolfe ex Hook.f.
135. Calanthe mannii Hook.f.
136. Calanthe maquilingensis Ames
137. Calanthe masuca (D.Don) Lindl.
138. Calanthe maxii P.O’Byrne
139. Calanthe mcgregorii Ames
140. Calanthe metoensis Z.H.Tsi & K.Y.Lang
141. Calanthe micrantha Schltr.
142. Calanthe microglossa Ridl.
143. Calanthe millikenii P.J.Cribb
144. Calanthe millotae Ursch & Genoud ex Bosser
145. Calanthe mindorensis Ames
146. Calanthe moluccensis J.J.Sm.
147. Calanthe monophylla Ridl.
148. Calanthe morotaiensis (Ormerod & Juswara) Schuit.
149. Calanthe musa-amanii J.J.Wood
150. Calanthe nankunensis Z.H.Tsi
151. Calanthe nephroglossa Schltr.
152. Calanthe nguyenthinhii Aver.
153. Calanthe nicolae P.O’Byrne
154. Calanthe nipponica Makino
155. Calanthe nivalis Boxall ex Náves
156. Calanthe obcordata (Lindl.) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
157. Calanthe obreniformis J.J.Sm.
158. Calanthe odora Griff.
159. Calanthe okinawensis Hayata
160. Calanthe × oreadum Rendle
161. Calanthe otuhanica C.L.Chan & T.J.Barkman
162. Calanthe ovalifolia Ridl.
163. Calanthe ovata Ridl.
164. Calanthe parvilabris Schltr.
165. Calanthe pauciverrucosa J.J.Sm.
166. Calanthe pavairiensis Ormerod
167. Calanthe perrottetii A.Rich.
168. Calanthe petelotiana Gagnep.
169. Calanthe peyrotii (Bosser) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
170. Calanthe plantaginea Lindl.
171. Calanthe poiformis P.J.Cribb & Ormerod
172. Calanthe polyantha Gilli
173. Calanthe × porphyrea Rchb.f.
174. Calanthe puberula Lindl.
175. Calanthe pulchra (Blume) Lindl.
176. Calanthe pullei J.J.Sm.
177. Calanthe punctata Kurzweil
178. Calanthe reflexilabris J.J.Sm.
179. Calanthe rhodochila Schltr.
180. Calanthe rigida Carr
181. Calanthe rosea (Lindl.) Benth.
182. Calanthe rubens Ridl.
183. Calanthe rubra S.H.Oh, H.J.Suh & C.W.Park
184. Calanthe ruthiae (P.T.Ong & P.O’Byrne) Schuit.
185. Calanthe ruttenii J.J.Sm.
186. Calanthe saccata J.J.Sm.
187. Calanthe sacculata Schltr.
188. Calanthe salaccensis J.J.Sm.
189. Calanthe sandsii P.J.Cribb
190. Calanthe scaposa Z.H.Tsi & K.Y.Lang
191. Calanthe secunda P.J.Cribb
192. Calanthe seranica J.J.Sm.
193. Calanthe siargaoensis M.Leon, Naive & Cootes
194. Calanthe × sibuyanense Cootes & G.Tiong
195. Calanthe sieboldopsis B.Y.Yang & Bo Li
196. Calanthe simplex Seidenf.
197. Calanthe simulans (Rolfe) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
198. Calanthe sinica Z.H.Tsi
199. Calanthe solomonensis P.J.Cribb & D.A.Clayton
200. Calanthe spathoglottoides Schltr.
201. Calanthe speciosa (Blume) Lindl.
202. Calanthe steinhardtiana (Senghas) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
203. Calanthe stella P.J.Cribb
204. Calanthe striata R.Br. ex Spreng.
205. Calanthe × subhamata J.J.Sm.
206. Calanthe succedanea Gagnep.
207. Calanthe sylvatica (Thouars) Lindl.
208. Calanthe taenioides J.J.Sm.
209. Calanthe tahitensis Nadeaud
210. Calanthe taibaishanensis M.Guo, J.W.Zhai & L.J.Chen
211. Calanthe takeuchii Ormerod & P.J.Cribb
212. Calanthe tenuis Ames & C.Schweinf.
213. Calanthe torricellensis Schltr.
214. Calanthe transiens J.J.Sm.
215. Calanthe tricarinata Lindl.
216. Calanthe trifida Tang & F.T.Wang
217. Calanthe triplicata (Willemet) Ames
218. Calanthe trulliformis King & Pantl.
219. Calanthe truncata J.J.Sm.
220. Calanthe truncicola Schltr.
221. Calanthe tsiana Y.Q.Chen, J.W.Zhai & S.R.Lan
222. Calanthe tsoongiana Tang & F.T.Wang
223. Calanthe tuberculosa (Thouars) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
224. Calanthe uncata Lindl.
225. Calanthe undulata J.J.Sm.
226. Calanthe unifolia Ridl.
227. Calanthe × varians J.J.Sm.
228. Calanthe velutina Ridl.
229. Calanthe ventilabrum Rchb.f.
230. Calanthe versteegii J.J.Sm.
231. Calanthe vestita Wall. ex Lindl.
232. Calanthe × villegentei M.Pignal
233. Calanthe villosa J.J.Sm.
234. Calanthe villosagastris (Thouars) M.W.Chase, Christenh. & Schuit.
235. Calanthe wenshanensis J.W.Zhai, L.J.Chen & Z.J.Liu
236. Calanthe whiteana King & Pantl.
237. Calanthe womersleyi P.J.Cribb & Ormerod
238. Calanthe woodii P.J.Cribb
239. Calanthe wuxiensis H.P.Deng & F.Q.Yu
240. Calanthe yaoshanensis Z.X.Ren & H.Wang
241. Calanthe × yarlungzangboensis P.P.Wu & Zi Wang
242. Calanthe yueana Tang & F.T.Wang
243. Calanthe yuksomnensis Lucksom
244. Calanthe zollingeri Rchb.f.

Conservation Concerns

While Calanthe are a source of beauty and fascination, it’s important to remember that many species are facing threats in the wild. Habitat loss due to deforestation and illegal collection for the horticultural trade are major concerns. By choosing nursery-propagated plants and supporting conservation efforts, we can help ensure that these orchids continue to thrive for generations to come.

My journey with Calanthe is an ongoing one. With each new species I encounter, my appreciation for this remarkable genus deepens. Whether you’re a seasoned orchid grower or just starting your journey, I encourage you to explore the world of Calanthe. You might just find yourself as captivated by these orchids as I am.