Phaius Lour.,
Fl. Cochinch. 2 (1790) 529
Sympodial terrestrial or epiphytic plants with very short rhizomes. Pseudobulbs short and thick, or elongated, or absent, consisting of more than one internode, few-leaved; when absent stem elongated, few- to several-leaved. Leaves sheathing at the base, glabrous, plicate, deciduous, convolute, thin-textured. Inflorescence lateral or basal, a few- to many-flowered raceme. Flowers medium-sized to large, resupinate, often showy. Sepals free. Petals free, usually rather similar to the sepals. Lip with or without spur, fused to the base of the column, basal part clasping the column. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 8, solid, caudicles present, stipe absent, viscidium absent.
Distribution
Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, tropical continental Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Australia, east to Tahiti; about 45 species.
Distribution in the Philippines
Luzon (Kalinga-Apayao, Mt. Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Zambales, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon, Tayabas, Sorsogon), Mindoro, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, Camiguin, Mindanao (Davao, Cotabato), Sulu; 7 species.
Habitat
Terrestrial or epiphytic in lowland and montane forest, or terrestrial in open places in the mountains.
Notes
One species, Phaius tankervilleae (Banks ex L'Hér.) Blume is very common in cultivation, the other species much less so. The genus is closely related to Calanthe, but the flowers look quite different as the column is largely free from the lip, while the lip partly envelopes the column.