Phaius tankervilleae

Swamp orchid

Conservation status
Endangered (EPBC Act)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Tribe:	Collabieae
Alliance:	Calanthe
Genus:	Phaius
Species:	P. tancarvilleae
Binomial name
*Phaius tancarvilleae* (L'Her.) Blume
Synonyms
Limodorum tankervilleae Banks 1788 Limodorum tancarvilleae L'Hér. 1789 Limodorum incarvillei Pers. Bletia tankervilleae (Banks) R.Br. Phaius incarvillei (Pers.) Kuntze Phaius grandifolius Lour. Limodorum spectabile Salisb. Pachyne spectabilis (Salisb.) Salisb. Tankervillia cantoniensis Link Phaius blumei Lindl. Phaius grandifolius Lindl. ex Wall. Dendrobium veratrifolium Roxb. Phaius veratrifolius (Roxb.) Lindl. Phaius grandifolius var. superbus Van Houtte Phaius carronii F.Muell. Phaius leucophaeus F.Muell. Phaius blumei var. assamica Rchb.f. Phaius giganteus Hemsl. Phaius tankervilleae var. mariesii Rchb.f. Phaius oweniae Sander Phaius roeblingii O'Brien Phaius blumei var. pulchra King & Pantl. Phaius sinensis Rolfe Calanthe bachmaensis Gagnep. Phaius tankervilleae var. superbus (Van Houtte) S.Y.Hu Phaius tankervilleae var. pulchra (King & Pantl.) Karth. in S.Karthikeyan & al.

Phaius tancarvilleae is a species of orchid widespread in the Indian Subcontinent, New Guinea, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia and certain islands of the Pacific. It is also naturalised in Hawaii, Panama, the West Indies and the US State of Florida

In Australia it is found as far south as Yamba, New South Wales and further north in tropical Queensland. It is listed as endangered with possible extinction within the country.

Common names include greater swamp-orchid, swamp lily, swamp orchid,nun's-hood orchid,nun's orchid and veiled orchid.

In 1778, John Fothergill brought this orchid back from China to England. Later, Joseph Banks named the plant in honour of Lady Emma Tankerville, as the orchid flowered in her greenhouse at Walton-on-Thames near London. The species name refers to the origin of the married name of Emma, the Countess Tankerville. That being the town of Tancarville, in Normandy, France.