You have known about Dendrobium from the last article, right? Today we will introduce you the other orchid which is so glorious as same as Dendrobium. That is Vanda.
V. Coerulea is prestigious about its beautiful and rare. It’s very rare and almost extinct. V. Coerulea has received a praise to be Vanda’s queen because it’s famous and it is the most species which was developed in the world.
Vanda is not a big species but it is expensive and popular for decoration. It has a beautiful shape, sweet smell, durable and dazzling colors. You can find this species generally in the nature or in the forest, both on rock and earth. It relies on the other plant and most found in South-East Asia such as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia etc.
The characteristic of growth is Monopodial what is grows up towards the top. Top-bud will change to a leaf and grows up. When this plant is old, the base will die towards the top as same as its growth. In additional, this species has an air-root. Air-root can grow every direction, so the haulm can fully spread itself.
We specify Vanda by the characteristic of leaf, its cross-sectional. It has 4 types, namely terete leaved, strap-leaved, semi-terete leaved and quarter-terete leaved.
Terete leaved Vanda has a round and long cylinder leaf, tall and wide segment. It has many flowers in 1 panicle but it will bloom only 2 or 3 and when the flower on the top is blooming, the flower at bottom will die. As mentioned previously, for this Vanda’s type we often cut only flowers more than cut all panicle. For examples V. teres, V. hookeriana etc.
For strap leaved, it has a flat leaf, V cross-sectional and short segment. Its leaf has overlap arrangement and close together. Leaf apex has curved and jagged edge. The example of this Vanda is V. coerulea, V. tessellate, V. lilacina etc
Next, Semi-terete leaved is a hybrid between terete leaved and strap leaved. It’s very rare to found in nature and all of them are sterile. We found only 2 species in natural, namely V. kimballiana and V. amesiana. However, we still breed terete leaved and strap leaved in laboratory to generate new SEMI-TERETE LEAVED species.
Finally, quarter-terete leaved, it has leaf and stalk shape similar to a strap leaved AND it cannot find normally in nature such as V. bluemoon. It is a hybrid between V. Josephine van Brero, terete leaved, and V. sanderiana, strap leaved.
From all of Vanda, Terete leaved is the easiest for nurture but its flower is not durable. The hardest nurture is strap leaved but it has a various and more beautiful than the other Vanda. SO, the most of hybrid Vanda is for development and species improvement. Hybrid species generate a new species what has a better quality and more beautiful from the old one.
As mentioned above as many pictures, Vanda’s flower has sepals and petals. They have a very similar size and shape. Its lip or labellum is similar to spoon and has a small spur. Vanda’s flower is big, you will see it clearly if you compare with the other species. Vanda is blooming every 2 or 3 months and still on the panicle about 2 or 3 weeks.
From this content, you have already known about Vanda, its various species, its dazzling color, etc. And now you have already known 2 orchid species namely, Dendrobium and Vanda. How about that? Which one do you like? Don’t be forget, that is not at all about Orchid. SO, next time what species we will introduce to you. Stay tuned!!!
Let’s orchid lights up your world
Thank you
Apichaya
