Phalaenopsis (Blume 1825) is a genus of approximately 60
species of orchids (family Orchidaceae). The abbreviation in the horticultural trade is Phal.
Phalaenopsis is one of the most popular orchids in the trade, through the development of many
artificial hybrids. The generic name means "Phalaen[a]-like" and is probably a reference to the
genus Phalaena, the name given by Carolus Linnaeus to a group of large moths; the flowers of some
species supposedly resemble moths in flight. For this reason, the species are sometimes called
Moth orchids. They are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the
islands of Polillo and Palawan of the Philippines and northern Australia. Orchid Island off
Taiwan is named after this orchid. Little is known about their habitat and their ecology in
nature since little field research has been done in the last decades.
Originally from The Bahamas, Winston studied with the New York Institute of Photography (NYI)
and at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale (A School of Professional Studies).
He is an alumnus of the Catholic University of America ~ Washington DC.,
and of the University of Miami ~ Coral Gables, Florida.