Yellow swamp orchid

Description

Phaius, commonly known as swamp orchids is a genus of forty five species of flowering plants in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. They are evergreen, terrestrial herbs which form clumps with crowded, sometimes stem-like pseudobulbs, large, pleated leaves and relatively large, often colourful flowers. Species in this genus are found in the tropical parts of Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, and various islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. One species is also naturalized in Hawaii, Florida, and the Caribbean. Orchids in the genus Phaius are evergreen, terrestrial, sympodial herbs with thin underground rhizomes and crowded above ground, sometimes stem-like pseudobulbs. There are several pleated, stalked leaves emerging from the pseudobulb. The flower stalk is unbranched and bears a few to many moderately large, resupinate, often colourful flowers. The sepals and petals are similar in size and shape and the labellum has three lobes and a shallow pouch near its base.