The genus Phreatia
Members of the genus Phreatia are not commonly grown, mainly because of the tiny flowers, which are usually white or pale green, and the plants are from high elevations, and therefore will not grow, let alone flower, in the extreme heat of the lowlands.
The great English botanist, Dr. John Lindley, proposed this genus in 1830, in his Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. The generic name refers to the well-like structure formed by the lateral sepals and the labellum. The type species for the genus is Phreatia
elegans, a plant from Sri Lanka. There are about 200 species in the genus, and they are found throughout Asia to the islands of the Pacific Ocean, with the center of distribution being on the large island of New Guinea.
Phreatia amesii is also known from Borneo. In the Philippines it has been found in the provinces of Bataan, Benguet, the Mountain Province, Rizal and Sorsogon; the Visayan islands of Leyte, Negros and Panay; and the province of Agusan on Mindanao. It grows as an epiphyte at elevations between 300 and 1,600 meters. It is named after Professor Oakes Ames, who did tremendous work on describing orchid species.
Phreatia luzoniensis is endemic to the Philippines and has been recorded from the provinces of Bataan, Laguna, Nueva Vizcaya, Quezon, Rizal and Sorsogon on Luzon; the islands of Leyte, Negros and Samar in the Visayan Sea; and the provinces of Agusan, Cotabato, Davao, and Zamboanga on Mindanao. It grows as an epiphyte at a wide range of elevations.
Phreatia plantaginifolia is a widely spread species, which has been recorded from the Andaman Islands, Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, Sulawesi (Celebes), and Borneo. In the Philippines, it has been recorded from the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija and Rizal on Luzon; the island of Leyte in the Visayan Sea; and the province of Zamboanga on Mindanao. It grows often on mossy trunks, or as a twig epiphyte in fairly well-shaded localities at elevations of up to 1,200 meters above sea level.
Phreatia plexauroides is a widespread species, which has been recorded from Java, and Sumatra in the Indonesian archipelago. In the Philippines, it is only known from Misamis province on Mindanao. It grows as an epiphyte amongst mosses at elevations of about 1,300 meters above sea level. This species is quite unique, since the flowers are well-spaced on the inflorescence, as opposed to the usual densely packed inflorescences of most species.
Phreatia sulcata is a widely distributed species that has been found in Thailand, Indonesia, and Borneo. In the Philippines, it has been recorded from Albay, Bataan, Ifugao, the Mountain Province, Pampanga, Quezon and Rizal on Luzon; the island of Mindoro; the islands of Leyte and Negros in the Visayan Sea; the province of Agusan on Mindanao; and the island of Basilan in the Sulu archipelago. It grows as an epiphyte at elevations of between 600 and 2,500 meters above sea level. Sadly, the flowers do not open widely.
Some Phreatia species resemble “dwarf-like” species in the Vanda genus, reaching only up to 5cm in height; e.g. Phreatia luzoniensis, which in turn is possibly the only attraction for collectors of extremely small orchids. These kind of plants, would be more fitting for terrariums, provided with the right combination of temperature, light and moisture. The lack of coloration and fragrance (at least to human olfactory senses) in their flowers, leaves lots of room for suggestions on possible pollinators. On some photographs ants are seen moving around the tiny flowers, which could very well play a role in pollination.