Papilionanthe (abbreviated Ple.Alphabetical List of Standard Abbreviations for Natural and Hybrid Generic Names, Royal Horticultural Society, 2017 https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/plant-registration-forms/orchid-name-abbreviations-list.pdf) is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It is native to Southeast Asia, southern China, and the Indian subcontinent.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant FamiliesFlora of China v 25 p 477, 凤蝶兰属 feng die lan shu, Papilionanthe Schlechter, Orchis. 9: 78. 1915. Papillionanthe species are leaf succulents resembling Curio repens (syn. Senecio repens, Kleinia repens).
Species Papilionanthe biswasiana (Ghose & Mukerjee) Garay – Yunnan, Myanmar, Thailand Papilionanthe greenii (W.W.Sm.) Garay – Bhutan Papilionanthe hookeriana (Rchb.f.) Schltr. – Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra Papilionanthe pedunculata (Kerr) Garay – Cambodia, Vietnam Papilionanthe sillemiana (Rchb.f.) Garay – Myanmar Papilionanthe cylindrica (Lindl.) Seidenf.Descr. Epidendrorum J.G.König: 33 (1995) - India, Sri Lanka Papilionanthe teres (Roxb.) Schltr. – Yunnan, Bangladesh, Assam, Bhutan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam; naturalized in Fiji and Caroline Islands Papilionanthe tricuspidata (J.J.Sm.) Garay – Bali, Lombok, Timor Papilionanthe uniflora (Lindl.) Garay – Himalayas, Nepal, Bhutan, Assam Papilionanthe vandarum (Rchb.f.) Garay – Himalayas, Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Myanmar, China
Formerly included taxa Papilionanthe subulata (Willd.) Garay from Borneo, Cambodia, Malaya, Thailand is a synonym of Thrixspermum filiforme Papilionanthe taiwaniana (S.S.Ying) Ormerod was formerly included as a species of the genus, but has since been re-classified as a hybrid of Papilionanthe teres and Luisia megasepala. It has been transferred to the nothogenus × Papilisia as × Papilisia taiwaniana (S.S.Ying) J.M.H.Shaw.Orchid Rev. 112(1257, Suppl.): 47 (2004) Papilionanthe teres is not native to Taiwan, but has been introduced to the island. The other parent species Luisia megasepala is an endemic Taiwanese species.
Hybrids Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim is a hybrid of Papilionanthe teres and Papilionanthe hookeriana. It is the national flower of Singapore.
Hybrids of Papilionanthe with other genera are placed in the following nothogenera:[Alphabetical One-Table List of Genera and Intergeneric Hybrids https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/plant-registration-forms/list-of-orchid-genera-with-components.pdf], Royal Horticultural Society, 2017. Papilionanda (Pda.) = Papilionanthe × Vanda × Papilisia = Papilionanthe × Luisia
References
Berg Pana, H. 2005. Handbuch der Orchideen-Namen. Dictionary of Orchid Names. Dizionario dei nomi delle orchidee. Ulmer, Stuttgart