Phalaenopsis amabilis, commonly known as the moon orchid or moth orchid in India, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae, native to the East Indies and Australia, and widely cultivated as a decorative houseplant.
Phalaenopsis amabilis is an epiphytic or lithophytic herb with long, thick roots, between two and eight thick, fleshy leaves with their bases hiding the stem and nearly flat, white, long-lasting flowers on a branching flowering stem with up to ten flowers on each branch. Phalaenopsis amabilis usually grows on trees, rarely on rocks, in rainforest where the humidity is high but there is free air movement. Subspecies amabilis has the widest distribution and occurs from Palawan in the southern Philippines to Borneo, Sumatra and Java. The specific epithet (amabilis) is a Latin word meaning "lovely". Phalaenopsis amabilis is actually quite easy to grow and adaptable.