Recently, a fine plant awarded as Phalaenopsis bellina (Rchb.f.) Christenson, was submitted to the Orchid Identification Center (OIC) at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, Florida, for verification of the identity. As it often turns out, many of our most beloved and "well-known" orchids also represent some of the most confusing and toughest taxonomical nuts to crack. Phalaenopsis bellina is a good example of this. The process of studying the natural history of this beautiful orchid led me into an all too familiar complex and confusing taxonomic jungle. For anybody lost in "the jungle," a good way to get out of it can be to follow a straight line in any direction and hope for the best, and that the line is short enough to survive. To get out of a taxonomic jungle, I compare with similar cases that I am more familiar with, select a proper direction that seems logical and consistent, and stay on that track until things begin to make sense.
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