Vanda, abbreviated in the horticultural trade as V.,[The Orchids, Natural History and Classification, Robert L. Dressler. ] Vanda species are widespread across East Asia, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea, with a few species extending into Queensland and some of the islands of the western Pacific Islands.[ Flora of China v 25 p 471, 万代兰属 wan dai lan shu, Vanda Jones ex R. Brown, Bot. Reg. 6: ad t. 506. 1820. ]
Etymology
The generic name
Vanda is derived from the
Sanskrit (वन्दाका)
[ vandAkA Sanskrit English Dictionary, University of Koeln, Germany] name for the species
Vanda roxburghii (a synonym of
Vanda tessellata).
[Garay, L. (1972), On the systematics of the monopodial orchids, Bot. Mus. Leafl. Harvard University, 23(4): 149-212]
Distribution
These mostly
epiphyte, but sometimes
lithophyte or terrestrial orchids, are distributed in
India,
Himalaya,
Southeast Asia,
Indonesia, the
Philippines,
New Guinea, southern
China, and northern
Australia.
Description
The genus has a
monopodial growth habit with flat, typically broad, ovoid leaves (strap-leaves). Species with cylindrical (terete), fleshy leaves, which are adapted to dry periods were transferred to the genus
Papilionanthe. The stems of these orchids vary considerably in size; some are miniature plants and some have a length of several meters. The plants can become quite massive in habitat and in cultivation, and epiphytic species possess very large, rambling aerial root systems. The roots have
.
[Eschrich, W. (1995). Gaswechsel. In Funktionelle Pflanzenanatomie (pp. 75-109). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.]
The few to many flattened grow on a lateral inflorescence. Most show a yellow-brown color with brown markings, but they also appear in white, green, orange, red, and burgundy shades. The lip has a small spur. Vanda species usually bloom every few months and the flowers last for two to three weeks.
Ecology
Pollination
Vanda falcata has been reported to be pollinated by several
hawkmoth species of the genus
Theretra, namely
Theretra japonica and
Theretra nessus.
[Suetsugu, K., Tanaka, K., Okuyama, Y., & Yukawa, T. (2015). "Potential pollinator of Vanda falcata (Orchidaceae): Theretra (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) hawkmoths are visitors of long spurred orchid." European Journal of Entomology, 112(2), 393.]
Conservation
Many
Vanda orchids (especially
V. coerulea) are endangered, and have never been common because they are usually only infrequently encountered in habitat and grow only in disturbed forest areas with high light levels, and are severely threatened and vulnerable to habitat destruction.
The export of wild-collected specimens of the blue orchid (
V. coerulea) and other wild
Vanda species is prohibited worldwide, as all orchids are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Cultivation
This genus is one of the five most horticulturally important orchid genera, because it has some of the most magnificent flowers to be found in the orchid family. This has contributed much to the work of hybridists producing flowers for the cut flower market.
V. coerulea is one of the few botanical orchids which can produce varieties with blue flowers (actually a very bluish purple), a property much appreciated for producing interspecific and intergeneric hybrids.
The color blue is rare among orchids, and only certain species of Thelymitra, a terrestrial species from Australia, produces flowers that are truly "blue" among the orchids. These species, much like Vanda, also have a bluish-purple tint towards the inner petals of the flowers.
Vanda dearei is one of the chief sources of yellow color in Vanda hybrids.
The plants do not possess pseudobulbs, but do possess leathery, drought-resistant leaves. Almost all of the species in this genus are very large epiphytes found in disturbed areas in habitat and prefer very high light levels, the plants having large root systems. Some of these species have a monopodial vine-like growth habit, and the plants can quickly become quite massive.
These plants prefer consistent conditions day-to-day in cultivation to avoid dropping their bottom leaves. The epiphytic species are best accommodated in large wooden baskets, bare rooted, which allows for the large aerial root systems. Disturbing or damaging the roots of large, mature vandaceous orchid plants, and in particular, Vanda and Aerides species, can result in the plants failing to flower and going into decline for a season or more. These plants do not tolerate disturbance or damage of their root systems in cultivation when they become mature. The terete-leaved terrestrial species are very easy to cultivate.
When grown bare-rooted, the epiphytic species require daily watering and weekly feeding and are very heavy feeders in cultivation. They can be grown out-of-doors in Hawaii and the like provided they are given some shade.
Fungal infections
Unfortunately fungal infections are not uncommon in cultivated plants. A variety of phytopathogens may infect
Vanda orchids. Vandas may be affected by
Fusarium wilt. This disease is characterized by purple discolouration in the vascular tissue, which results in the loss of their function. The hyphae and spores block the conductor vessels. Affected plants may superficially appear healthy, as they continue to grow, the oldest parts of the plants can be affected and the disease will eventually progress throughout the entire plant.
[Pedroso-de-Moraes, C., Souza, M. C. D., Ronconi, C. C., & Marteline, M. A. (2011). Response of Cattleya hybrids for Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cattleyae Foster. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology, 54(2), 267-271.] If cutting tools are not sterilized the infection may spread to other plants.
[Reddy, P. P. (2016). Orchids. In Sustainable Crop Protection under Protected Cultivation (pp. 393-407). Springer, Singapore.]
Systematics
In a recent molecular study of the genus
Vanda ,
several Genera including the former Genus
Ascocentrum,
Neofinetia and
Euanthe were brought into synonym with
Vanda.
Species
The following is a list of
Vanda species recognised by Plants of the World Online as of January 2025:
Natural hybrids
-
Vanda × amoena ( V. coerulea × V. tessellata) (Assam)
-
Vanda × boumaniae ( V. insignis × V. perplexa) (Lesser Sunda Is.)
-
Vanda × charlesworthii ( V. bensonii × V. coerulea) (Myanmar)
-
Vanda × feliciae ( V. lamellata var. boxallii × V. ustii) (Philippines (Luzon))
-
Vanda × hebraica ( V. denisoniana × V. brunnea) (Myanmar)
[Motes, M., Gardiner, L. M., & Roberts, D. L. (2016). The identity of spotted Vanda denisoniana. Orchid Review, 124(1316), 228-233.]
-
Vanda × leucostele ( V. foetida × V. helvola) (Sumatera)
-
Vanda × loii ( V. lamellata × V. merrillii) (Philippines)
-
Vanda × peetersiana ( V. coerulea × V. coerulescens) (Assam)
Intergeneric hybrids
The following is a list of hybrid genera (nothogenera) in which hybrids vandas with orchids of other genera are placed although many of these are invalid because of recent taxonomic changes. For instance, ×
Ascocenda (
Ascocentrum x
Vanda) and ×
Vandofinetia (
Vanda x
Neofinetia) are no longer valid because both
Ascocentrum and
Neofinetia have been reduced to synonyms of Vanda by RHS, which is in charge of the International Orchid Register:
-
× Aeridovanda ( Aerides × Vanda)
-
× Aeridovanisia ( Aerides × Luisia × Vanda)
-
× Alphonsoara ( Arachnis × Ascocentrum × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Andrewara ( Arachnis × Renanthera × Trichoglottis × Vanda)
-
× Aranda ( Arachnis × Vanda)
-
× Ascocenda ( Ascocentrum × Vanda)
-
× Ascovandoritis ( Ascocentrum × Doritis × Vanda)
-
× Bokchoonara ( Arachnis × Ascocentrum × Phalaenopsis × Vanda)
-
× Bovornara ( Arachnis × Ascocentrum × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Burkillara ( Aerides × Arachnis × Vanda)
-
× Charlieara ( Rhynchostylis × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Christieara ( Aerides × Ascocentrum × Vanda)
-
× Darwinara ( Ascocentrum × Neofinetia × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Debruyneara ( Ascocentrum × Luisia × Vanda)
-
× Devereuxara ( Ascocentrum × Phalaenopsis × Vanda)
-
× Eastonara ( Ascocentrum × Gastrochilus × Vanda)
-
× Fujiora ( Ascocentrum × Trichoglottis × Vanda)
-
× Goffara ( Luisia × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Hawaiiara ( Renanthera × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Hagerara ( Doritis × Phalaenopsis × Vanda)
-
× Himoriara ( Ascocentrum × Phalaenopsis × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Holttumara ( Arachnis × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Isaoara ( Aerides × Ascocentrum × Phalaenopsis × Vanda)
-
× Joannara ( Renanthera × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Kagawara ( Ascocentrum × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Knappara ( Ascocentrum × Rhynchostylis × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Knudsonara ( Ascocentrum × Neofinetia × Renanthera × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Leeara ( Arachnis × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Luisanda ( Luisia × Vanda)
-
× Luivanetia ( Luisia × Neofinetia × Vanda)
-
× Lewisara ( Aerides × Arachnis × Ascocentrum × Vanda)
-
× Maccoyara ( Aerides × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Macekara ( Arachnis × Phalaenopsis × Renanthera × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Micholitzara ( Aerides × Ascocentrum × Neofinetia × Vanda)
-
× Moirara ( Phalaenopsis × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Mokara ( Arachnis × Ascocentrum × Vanda)
-
× Nakamotoara ( Ascocentrum × Neofinetia × Vanda)
-
× Nobleara ( Aerides × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Okaara ( Ascocentrum × Renanthera × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Onoara ( Ascocentrum × Renanthera × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Opsisanda ( Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Pageara ( Ascocentrum × Luisia × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Pantapaara ( Ascoglossum × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Paulara ( Ascocentrum × Doritis × Phalaenopsis × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Pehara ( Aerides × Arachnis × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Pereiraara ( Aerides × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Phalaerianda ( Aerides × Phalaenopsis × Vanda)
-
× Raganara ( Renanthera × Trichoglottis × Vanda)
-
× Ramasamyara ( Arachnis × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Renafinanda ( Neofinetia × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Renanda ( Arachnis × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Renantanda ( Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Rhynchovanda ( Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Ridleyare ( Arachnis × Trichoglottis × Vanda)
-
× Robinaria ( Aerides × Ascocentrum × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Ronnyara ( Aerides × Ascocentrum × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Sanjumeara ( Aerides × Neofinetia × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Sarcovanda ( Sarcochilus × Vanda)
-
× Shigeuraara ( Ascocentrum × Ascoglossum × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Stamariaara ( Ascocentrum × Phalaenopsis × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Sutingara ( Arachnis × Ascocentrum × Phalaenopsis × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Teohara ( Arachnis × Renanthera × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Trevorara ( Arachnis × Phalaenopsis × Vanda)
-
× Trichovanda ( Trichoglottis × Vanda)
-
× Vascostylis ( Ascocentrum × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Vandachnis ( Arachnis × Vandopsis)
-
× Vancampe ( Acampe × Vanda)
-
× Vandachostylis ( Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Vandaenopsis ( Phalaenopsis × Vanda)
-
× Vandaeranthes ( Aeranthes × Vanda)
-
× Vandewegheara ( Ascocentrum × Doritis × Phalaenopsis × Vanda)
-
× Vandofinetia ( Neofinetia × Vanda)
-
× Vandofinides ( Aerides × Neofinetia × Vanda)
-
× Vandoritis ( Doritis × Vanda)
-
× Vanglossum ( Ascoglossum × Vanda)
-
× Wilkinsara ( Ascocentrum × Vanda × Vandopsis)
-
× Yapara ( Phalaenopsis × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
-
× Yusofara ( Arachnis × Ascocentrum × Renanthera × Vanda)
-
× Yonezawaara ( Neofinetia × Rhynchostylis × Vanda)
Further reading
-
Grove, D. L. 1995. Vandas and Ascocendas. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 241 pp.
-
Motes, Martin R., and Alan L. Hoffman. 1997 Vandas, Their botany, history and culture.
External links
