phalaenopsis

[ fal-uh-nop-sis ]

noun,plural phal·ae·nop·sis.

any of various epiphytic orchids of the genus Phalaenopsis, native to tropical Asia, having clusters of showy, variously colored flowers.

Origin of phalaenopsis

<New Latin (1825), equivalent to Greek phál(l)ain(a) moth + -opsis-opsis; reflecting the popular name moth orchid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

These data include all types of live orchids, not only phalaenopsis, or moth orchids, which are the most common commercial variety, and most likely to pop up at your local shop.
US orchid imports have surged to an all-time high | Amanda Shendruk | February 8, 2022 | Quartz
Further back in the mountains I came across some fine species of phalaenopsis.
Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines | H. Wilfrid Walker
Under these remarkable circumstances some scores of phalaenopsis were thriving as I never saw them elsewhere.
The Woodlands Orchids | Frederick Boyle
Then he heard of a ‘red phalaenopsis,’ on the north coast, a legendary wonder, which must have its own chronicle by and by.
The Woodlands Orchids | Frederick Boyle
The phalaenopsis, they said, abounded within a few hundred yards, and the Aerides was common enough.
The Woodlands Orchids | Frederick Boyle

The discovery of phalaenopsis Sanderiana was an interesting event; nor for botanists alone.
The Woodlands Orchids | Frederick Boyle

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