244 Species of Genus Calanthe

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 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.

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