Copyright Marilyn H. S. Light 2002
[Pre-chat handout]
The genus Vanda is widely distributed throughout Australasia from China through the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea and Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. Many Vanda hybrids are composites of several genera whose species were once considered as members of the genus Vanda including V. sanderiana (Euanthe sanderiana which is the only species in this genus), V. cristata (Trudelia cristata), and V. teres (Papilionanthe teres).
The lip in Euanthe is distinctly separated into its two composite parts connected with a narrow isthmus. The part closest to the the column base (the hypochile) is cup-shaped while the outermost part (the epichile) is more broad, flat and colored. The six Trudelia species are generally few-flowered with prominent lips. The genus Papilionanthe recognizes the unique group of ten terete-leaved species that bear large showy blooms. This is the only group which thrive in full sun. All four genera have been successfully used to produce a wide range of complex hybrids.
Vanda coerulea - Collection pressure on the fabled Blue Vanda of Thailand, Myanmar, India and China led to its being listed under Appendix I of CITES. Fortunately, artificial propagation now provides an ample supply of plants which adapt readily to home growing conditions. Also, efforts are underway to re-introduce the species. The Blue Vanda may be pink, or white with a blue lip, but blue is the most common shade. The petals and sepals are pale to mid blue while the narrow lip is a much darker shade. The petals are often twisted to a horizontal position. Vanda coerulea is a strap-leaf species that grows best under intermediate semi-shaded conditions making it ideal for temperate zone growers. This species is the foundation of many modern Vandas and Ascocendas including V. Rothschildiana (coerulea x sanderiana).
Vanda coerulescens is a fragrant and floriferous compact strap-leaf species from China, Myanmar and Thailand, this intermediate grower may have small inch-wide blooms but many are produced on long sprays. The flower pedicels are quite long giving the spike an airy habit. The floral spur is more prominent than in V. coerulea. Like the specific epithet implies, the flower color is various shades of blue. The lip is proportionately large and a deeper shade of blue. Although the species is reputed to be difficult under prolonged hot climate conditions, some success can be had.
Vanda cristata, aka Trudelia cristata, is an intermediate strap-leaf species of northern India, Nepal and Bhutan which has short spikes of several medium-sized greenish flowers with proportionately large elongate red-striped lips. Grow this compact plant in a small basket.
Vanda lamellata is a variable warm-growing strap-leaf species of the Philippines and Indonesia. The variety -boxallii- is a handsomely marked white flower with cinnamon orange markings on the petals and sepals with the lower sepals most heavily marked. The marking pattern and open shape carry through to the progeny, at least in the first generation. Martin Motes has used this species to successfully produce some interesting multi-flowered hybrids. V. Motes First Light 'Dawn' AM/AOS had 21- 7 cm-wide flowers and 37 buds on two 48 cm upright spikes.
Vanda (Euanthe) sanderiana is a hot lowland Philippine species, strap-leaved species which typically has large flat blooms but few roots so can be a challenge to growers with less than ideal conditions. V. sanderiana is a foundation species of most of the dinner plate Vandas grown today. Line breeding has improved on the already impressive 10 cm diameter flower size and shape. Flower color ranges from light to rose lavender through with the lateral sepals contrastingly marked burgundy to mahogany brown, a trait which carries through in many hybrids as in V. Claudia Piedrahita.
Vanda tesselata is a compact, intermediate-growing strap-leaved orchid that can tolerate lower light conditions. The 5 to 6 cm wide flowers are typically brownish green with darker tesselation. The lip is indigo blue. Dark violet indigo flowered plants such as 'Fuchs Indigo' FCC/AOS represent a different ecotype. Hybrids such as V. Mimi Palmer (Tan Chay Yan x tesselata) closely resemble the species. We can see the tesselations and typical blue lip apparent in V. Memoria Lyle Swanson (tesselata x Kasem's Delight). The flower is still somewhat open but an improvement over a typical V. tesselata.
Vanda tricolor, aka suavis, is a variable, robust, warm-growing, strap-leaf Vanda of Java, Indonesia. Not only are the flowers colorful but also perfumed and long lasting. Typically, the flowers are white with burgundy to brown markings and a pink to reddish purple lip. This plant becomes massive when grown well. The clone 'Brooklyn Botanic garden'CCM/AOS carried 242 flowers on 23 inflorescences. The plant was 140 cm by 106 cm tall. A marriage with smaller V. cristata may seem a bit of a gamble but V. Paki (tricolor x cristata) has maintained the compact habit but has an improved flower count and some of the tricolor spotting evident on the petals and sepals while the lip is a wonderful solid dark red.
The terete-leaved Vandas including V. (Papilionanthe) teres, form the backbone of Vanda cut flower production and landscape material in the hot, humid tropics. This group is the one which can truly grow in full sun. Semi-terete hybrids with strap-leaved species including the famous JVB or V. Josephine van Brero ( teres x insignis), V. Mevr L Velthius (Miss Joaquim x sanderiana) and V. Emma van Deventer (teres x tricolor), a parent of V. Nellie Morley, have given rise to a group of semi-terete Vandas that tolerate higher levels of light and are thus useful in tropical garden settings.
All of the terete-leaved Vandas have pencil-like leaves whose surface area has been so reduced as to render them less vulnerable to sun scald. Vanda teres is an epiphyte native to India, Nepal and adjacent parts of China. It is basically a round pink flower with broad petals and a prominent two-lobed lip of which part forms an overlapping hood over the column. A white-flowered form is known and is perhaps partly responsible for the production of a white-flowered V. Mevr. L. Velthius 'Orchidglade Snowcap 'AM/AOS'. Hybridization of this group began early with Laycock registering V. Amy (tricuspidata x hookeriana) in 1856. It is interesting to note that V. Amy, Miss Joaquim, and to a lesser extent, V. Ruby and Ruby Prince, still are major components of today's tropical orchid gardens.
Vanda hookeriana is a swamp dweller. Native to the hot wetlands of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, it grows in close proximity to other wetland plants which provide a useful support for the stems. The showy pink flower has a broad three-lobed, red-spotted lip. The primary hybrid of teres and hookeriana, Vanda Miss Joaquim, was registered in 1893 after it was found growing the garden of its namesake. The lip is deep pink purple and more ruffled than lobed. In 1981, V. Miss Joaquim was selected as Singapore's National Flower. http://www.sg/flavour/sym-flower.html V. Miss Joaquim is raised as source of flowers for lei production and for garden pleasure. A history of the lei-making may be found at http://www.hoalahawaii.com/naleivanda.htm
Vanda Ruby (Miss Joaquim x tricolor) is a semi-terete hybrid with broad, dark pink lips speckled darker pink. The overall effect is a glowing deep pink.
Vanda Ruby Prince (Ruby x Cooperi) is a dark pink-flowered terete-leaved hybrid with almost solid purple pink lips. V. Cooperi is the backcross of Miss Jaoquim with hookeriana.
In terms of a pleasing shape, Vanda Andres Segovia (Miss Joaquim x tricuspidata) is a favorite. This terete-leaved hybrid has dainty flat pink blooms with purple pink lip.
Vanda leaf shape is a good guideline as to the amount of light needed to promote vigorous growth. The more terete the leaf, the more light a plant will tolerate. When moving plants, observe the placement of the leaves with respect to the sun's direction and keep the same orientation. This will ensure that the beautiful fan of leaves does not begin growing askew. Generally speaking, Vanda coerulea and its hybrids is tolerant of cooler temperatures than its warmer growing relatives. It is worthwhile, especially with hybrids, to observe a plant under various growing conditions before make broad assumptions. Growth of new leaves and roots is a good sign that the temperature provided is satisfactory. Most Vandas do well in baskets where their roots can dry between waterings. Terete sorts can be mounted on wooden posts or on vertical clay tile pipes. The pipes, when sealed at the bottom and filled with water, can become a useful source of evaporative cooling at the roots.
Discussion Begins:
MarilyninOttawa
The genus Vanda is widely distributed throughout
Australasia from China through the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia,
New Guinea and Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka.
There are some 40-50 species depending upon the taxonomic approach
you ascribe to.
Many Vanda hybrids are composites of several genera whose species were once considered as members of the genus Vanda including V. sanderiana (Euanthe sanderiana which is the only species in this genus), V. cristata (Trudelia cristata), and V. teres (Papilionanthe teres).
The lip in Euanthe is distinctly separated into its two composite parts connected with a narrow isthmus. The part closest to the column base (the hypochile) is cup-shaped while the outermost part (the epichile) is more broad, flat and colored.
The six Trudelia species are generally few-flowered
with prominent lips.
The genus Papilionanthe recognizes the unique group of
ten terete-leaved species that bear large showy blooms. This is
the only group which thrive in full sun. All four genera have
been successfully used to produce a wide range of complex hybrids.
The genus Papilionanthe recognizes the unique group of ten terete-leaved
species that bear large showy blooms. This is the only group which
thrive in full sun. All four genera have been successfully used
to produce a wide range of complex hybrids.
John_in_Arcadia_CA
Aren't they all still placed under Vanda for registration purposes?
MarilyninOttawa
Yes, that is so but I thought you would like to know about the
natural divisions and their names.
LosChristabel
[Desireable traits] Like the round, flat form, and the tessellation
patterning?
MarilyninOttawa
Yes, that's correct. The patterning on the lower sepals and the
flat flower are desirable traits arising from V. sanderiana.
Vanda plants exhibit monopodial growth. Most kinds produce strap-like leaves as in V. Claudia Piedrahita. As a plant gets taller, offsets (keikis) frequently form at the base. In this specimen, you can also see the influence of V. sanderiana in terms of flower shape and coloring.
Vanda coerulea - Collection pressure on the fabled Blue Vanda of Thailand, Myanmar, India and China led to its being listed under Appendix I of CITES. Fortunately, artificial propagation now provides an ample supply of V. coerulea plants which adapt readily to home growing conditions. Also, efforts are underway to re-introduce the species.
John_in_Arcadia_CA
Aren't some of these line-bred plants much better than the jungle
collected ones? I have heard that is the way with most line-bred
species.
Ed_in_Sat
Perhaps you would like to see a little different form of coerulea.
This one is blooming out back now: [picture] [sorry, I don't have
that picture - KB]
MarilyninOttawa
Thanks Ed! Is the lip greenish blue? Hard to tell. When these
blue specimens are shown in a sodium vapor lit hall, the color
is fantastic!
Ed_in_Sat
The lip is quite blue and the upper works are not quite white.
This is a pale form, not a true alba. No tessellations.
MarilyninOttawa
The Blue Vanda may be pink, or white with a blue lip (like Ed
has just shown us), but blue is the most common shade. The petals
and sepals are pale to mid blue while the narrow lip is a much
darker shade. The petals are often twisted to a horizontal position.
Vanda coerulea is a strap-leaf species that grows best under intermediate
semi-shaded conditions making it ideal for Temperate Zone growers.
This species is the foundation of many modern Vandas and Ascocendas
including V. Rothschildiana (coerulea x sanderiana).
Orchidglade
Line bred coeruleas from Thailand are often deeply tessellated.
Does this mean they are not purebred coeruleas?
MarilyninOttawa
I believe that the tessellated specimens are simply the product
of line breeding for particular traits. It depends a lot on the
specimens used to start the breeding lines.
LosChristabel
I was led to believe that V. coerulea is a highly variable species,
and most of the ones I've seen have been highly tessellated.
Jose
Grove accepts the fact that some of the awarded coeruleas are
nothing but hybrids. I think he even mentioned that one of the
FCC is a hybrid...but I could be wrong. If you take the time to
see some of the catalogs of some of the V. coerulea exporters
you may even see the same blue tessellated flower used for hybrids
and to indicate that is V coerulea.... as a matter of fact one
of those catalogues is on line now on Orchidmall
Orchidglade
This is one area that DNA analysis could provide a definitive
answer.
MarilyninOttawa
Certainly, molecular methods may show or suggest hybrid origin
but tessellations are a natural part of some V. coerulea and could
turn up in line bred specimens.
CJ_Orchidflowerchild
The lip and petals are easy to key out... If the petals don't
turn and the lip looks like it has some Euanthe influence, it
ain't the species. Although there have been wild collected tessellated
forms. Those are what line breeders are working from. The pink
tessellated ones come from a wild clone....
Ed_in_Sat
Actually, the pink lipped alba we photographed was the result
of line breeding in Thailand in the Queen Florist/T Orchid/Thonglor
group.
One thing for sure: V coerulea produces a ton of flowers in most
of its forms. Young judges should pay attention to bloom count
when coerulea is present in good per cent
Jose
Not only good flower count but a nice strong ascending inflorescence.
MarilyninOttawa
Going back to the comments on tessellations - we never know what
traits will be enhanced in progeny until we do the experiment.
That is why diversity in the species gene pool is important to
be maintained.
LosChristabel
Meaning that TOO much line breeding can be harmful if desirable
traits, however inadvertently, are lost along the way?
MarilyninOttawa
No, line breeding is fine but when you start the line, you make
choices. Sometimes you cannot easily go back to make an alternate
choice unless you have other plants representing a range of traits
for that species.
Ed_in_Sat
If you start line breeding, save something out of every group.
If needed, you can go clear back to the original parents and breed
with them. It helps viability in most cases.
pecteilis_in_KY
I wish we could get a more precise definition of light than "full
sun," or 30% shade. These are very unprecise.
MarilyninOttawa
I agree that light suggestions are at times imprecise. We grow
at different latitudes and in different climates. Where many Vandas
grow, much of the sunshine is broken with periodic cloudiness
and showers/rain. Full sun there is not the same as here or where
you are. I recommend that you begin with enough light that your
hand just makes a shadow when placed about one foot away from
the plant and between the sun source and the plant.
When we start with the hand method, we can be reasonably certain that we will not burn the leaves. Plants do become habituated to certain light levels and can take more or less within limits. Most plants do not require full sun but merely bright light. There must be adequate air movement with high light otherwise the plants get too hot.
Ed_in_Sat
Marilyn, I like your light level setter: using hand shadows. Vanda
generally is grown at too high a light level in non-tropical areas.
We grow them under 60% shade cloth.
MarilyninOttawa
Vanda
coerulescens is a fragrant and floriferous compact
strap-leaf species from China, Myanmar and Thailand. This intermediate
grower may have small inch-wide blooms but many are produced on
long sprays. This slide is a bit dark but there is a wide range
of color depth possible. The better ones have nice spike presentation.
The flower pedicels are quite long giving the spike an airy habit. The floral spur is more prominent than in V. coerulea. Like the specific epithet implies, the flower color is various shades of blue. The lip is proportionately large and a deeper shade of blue. Although the species is reputed to be difficult under prolonged hot climate conditions, some success can be had.
Vanda cristata aka Trudelia cristata, is an intermediate strap-leaf species of northern India, Nepal and Bhutan which has short spikes of several medium-sized greenish flowers with proportionately large elongate red-striped lips. Grow this compact plant in a small basket.
Vanda lamellata is a variable warm-growing strap-leaf species of the Philippines and Indonesia. The variety -boxallii- is a handsomely marked white flower with cinnamon orange markings on the petals and sepals with the lower sepals most heavily marked.
Ed_in_Sat
Can you believe this as daddy of the first Ascocenda hybrid?
MarilyninOttawa
V. lamellata var. boxallii has a beautiful spike habit
which could be passed on to hybrids. The marking pattern and open
shape carry through to the progeny, at least in the first generation.
Martin Motes has used this species to successfully produce some
interesting multi-flowered hybrids. V. Motes First Light 'Dawn'
AM/AOS had 21- 7 cm-wide flowers and 37 buds on two 48 cm upright
spikes.
Vanda (Euanthe) sanderiana is a hot lowland Philippine species, strap-leaved species which typically has large flat blooms but few roots so can be a challenge to growers with less than ideal conditions. V. sanderiana is a foundation species of most of the dinner plate Vandas grown today. Line breeding has improved on the already impressive 10-cm diameter flower size and shape. Flower color ranges from light to rose lavender through with the lateral sepals contrastingly marked burgundy to mahogany brown, a trait which carries through in many hybrids as in V. Claudia Piedrahita.
Ed_in_Sat
When Kono line bred half the height out of his breeding strain,
we all gained a superb stud group.
MarilyninOttawa
Vanda
tessellata is a compact, intermediate-growing strap-leaved
orchid that can tolerate lower light conditions. The 5 to 6 cm
wide flowers are typically brownish green with darker tessellation.
The lip is indigo blue. Dark violet indigo flowered plants such
as 'Fuchs Indigo' FCC/AOS represent a different ecotype. Hybrids
such as V. Mimi Palmer (Tan Chay Yan x tesselata) closely resemble
the species. We can see the tessellations and typical blue lip
apparent in V.
Memoria Lyle Swanson (tessellata x Kasem's Delight). The flower
is still somewhat open but an improvement over a typical V. tessellata.
Ed_in_Sat
The Thais call the typical form "Leopard". I'm not sure
why. There is also a buckskin one with pink lip that is called
"Mustard" as in the du jon style.
May I insert a note on culture? Here is the Vanda type species,
tessellata growing happily in coir. Vanda tessellata sib cross
seedling in 5" pot of coir. [picture][sorry, I do not have
that picture -KB]
MarilyninOttawa
I find that the mustard color varies with light levels and is
more greenish during summer flowerings. This Vanda flowers the
year round for me, either under lights or in a shadehouse in summer.
Vanda tricolor aka V. suavis, is a variable, robust, warm-growing, strap-leaf Vanda of Java, Indonesia. Not only are the flowers colorful but also perfumed and long lasting. Typically, the flowers are white with burgundy to brown markings and a pink to reddish purple lip. This plant becomes massive when grown well. The clone 'Brooklyn Botanic Garden' CCM/AOS carried 242 flowers on 23 inflorescences. The plant was 140 cm by 106 cm tall.
A marriage with smaller V. cristata may seem a bit of a gamble but V. Paki (tricolor x cristata) has maintained the compact habit but has an improved flower count and some of the V. tricolor spotting evident on the petals and sepals while the lip is a wonderful solid dark red.
The terete-leaved Vandas including V. (Papilionanthe) teres, form the backbone of Vanda cut flower production and landscape material in the hot, humid tropics. This group is the one which can truly grow in full sun.
Semi-terete hybrids with strap-leaved species including the famous JVB or V. Josephine van Brero (teres x insignis), V. Mevr L Velthius (Miss Joaquim x sanderiana) and V. Emma van Deventer (teres x tricolor), a parent of V. Nellie Morley, have given rise to a group of semi-terete Vandas that tolerate higher levels of light and are thus useful in tropical garden settings.
Ed_in_Sat
These also adjust to field and bed growing outdoors.
MarilyninOttawa
All of the terete-leaved Vandas have pencil-like leaves whose
surface area has been so reduced as to render them less vulnerable
to sun scald. Vanda teres is an epiphyte native
to India, Nepal and adjacent parts of China. It is basically a
round pink flower with broad petals and a prominent two-lobed
lip of which part forms an overlapping hood over the column. A
white-flowered form is known and is perhaps partly responsible
for the production of a white-flowered V. Mevr. L. Velthius 'Orchidglade
Snowcap 'AM/AOS'.
Hybridization of this group began early with Laycock registering V. Amy (tricuspidata x hookeriana) in 1856. It is interesting to note that V. Amy, Miss Joaquim, and to a lesser extent, V. Ruby and V. Ruby Prince, still are major components of today's tropical orchid gardens.
Vanda hookeriana is a swamp dweller. Native to the hot wetlands of Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, it grows in close proximity to other wetland plants which provide a useful support for the stems. The showy pink flower has a broad three-lobed, red-spotted lip. The species used to occur in vast numbers before swamps were raided for the orchids to be sold cheaply in the market and mining machinery came to harvest the alluvial tin which lay in the swamp mud.
Ed_in_Sat
You might see a stonger line if hookeriana were settled once and
for all (taxonomically, that is)
MarilyninOttawa
The primary hybrid of V. teres and V. hookeriana, Vanda
Miss Joaquim, was registered in 1893 after it was found growing
the garden of its namesake. The lip is deep pink-purple and more
ruffled than lobed.
In 1981, V. Miss Joaquim was selected as Singapore's National Flower. You can learn about some of the history at the following site. [button] V. Miss Joaquim is raised as source of flowers for lei production and for garden pleasure. A history of the lei-making may be found at [button]. Vanda Ruby (Miss Joaquim x tricolor) is a semi-terete hybrid with broad, dark pink lips speckled darker pink. The overall effect is a glowing deep pink.
Orchidglade
I was surprised to learn that Joaquim is Portugese, not Spanish,
so that the correct pronunciation is "zhwakim", not
"wakim".
MarilyninOttawa
The Portuguese were traders throughout the region so perhaps the
name is not surprising.
Vanda Ruby Prince (Ruby x Cooperi) is a dark pink-flowered terete-leaved hybrid with almost solid purple pink lips. V. Cooperi is the backcross of Miss Jaoquim with V. hookeriana. You can get an idea of the beautiful hookeriana lip in this example.
In terms of a pleasing shape, Vanda Hommage A Segovia (Miss Joaquim x tricuspidata) is a favorite. This terete-leaved hybrid has dainty flat pink blooms with distinctively shaped purple-pink lip.
This last hybrid is one of my favorites. I just love the flower shape. Breeding with these Vandas started early, well before flasking was practiced, but it is well known that you can get seedlings easily by sowing seed on top of moist shaded bedding like sugar cane debris (bagasse) or coconut coir and bast fibres.
Vanda leaf shape is a good guideline as to the amount of light needed to promote vigorous growth. The more terete the leaf, the more light a plant will tolerate. When moving plants, observe the placement of the leaves with respect to the sun's direction and keep the same orientation. This will ensure that the beautiful fan of leaves does not begin growing askew. The leaves will be better protected from sun damage also.
Generally speaking, Vanda coerulea and its hybrids are tolerant of cooler temperatures than those of the warmer growing relatives. It is worthwhile, especially with hybrids, to observe a plant under various growing conditions before make broad assumptions. Growth of new leaves and roots is a good sign that the temperature provided is satisfactory. Most Vandas do well in baskets where their roots can dry between waterings.
Terete sorts can be mounted on wooden posts or on vertical clay tile pipes. The pipes, when sealed at the bottom and filled with water, can become a useful source of evaporative cooling at the roots.
Vandas are heavy feeders when in active growth. When the daylength shortens during the grey winter season, Vanda slow their growth so fertilizer application should lighten or cease.
As Ed kindly mentioned, coir can be a useful potting medium for Vandas. We really must choose according to our growing situation. Those of you in the sub tropics and tropics can raise plants in baskets hanging beneath shadecloth, laths or even under trees. Those of us with wintery seasons must provide for two growing situations. Coir seems to work well under both conditions.
Orchidglade
For years down here [S Florida], where we water heavily, have
been going to baskets without media. This progressed to the ultimate
- tying Vandas to wires and dispensing with the baskets completely
Sarah_in_Houston
What is the max/min temp range for Vandas? I don't have a greenhouse
so it gets pretty hot here.
jim4eq
Sarah, I don't think most vanda have an upper range, *G*. They
are from the tropics, so it gets hot there too. But, there are
some species like coerulescens that are from higher altitudes
MarilyninOttawa
Vandas seem to tolerate a wide range of conditions. I would not
want to expose warmer-growing plants to temperatures below 50F
if I could avaoid it althoughsome could tolerate that and even
colder if dry. My plants regularly are exposed to 80-90F in summer
and seem to thrive. Remember that in the lowland tropics, air
temperatures would normally be in that range, at least by day.
Feel the leaves. If they are hot to touch, mist them to cool off.
Jade
Marilyn, this has been really interesting. Your time in the tropics
must have given your some lovely blooms.
MarilyninOttawa
Yes, the tropical experience opened my eyes to a range of plants.
Pity I cannot grow them all here but... Anyway, it is time to
say Goodnite and thank you for your attention.
-end
