Vanda coelestis explained

Vanda coelestis is a species of orchid native to Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.^[1]

Description

These epiphytic herbs form distiched, hard, deeply grooved, arching leaves that are up to 17 cm long and 2 cm wide. The branched stems can grow up to 10-25 cm tall. The 20 to 50 fragrant, white, pink or blue flowers, 2.2 cm wide, are in dense, upright racemes. The spur is flat but the distal half is curved forward.^[2]

Cytology

The chromosome count of Vanda coelestis is 2n = 38.^[3]

Taxonomy

The former placement of this species within Rhynchostylis has been disputed. One study identifies this species as the sister group to all other Rhynchostylis species on the basis of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism.^[4]

Etymology

The specific epithet coelestis, derived from the Latin caelum meaning the sky, heavenly, refers to the blue floral colouration.

Pollination

Pollination occurs during daytime through bees.^[5]

Notes and References

1. 77299035-1 . Vanda coelestis (Rchb.f.) Motes . 16 December 2023.
2. Motes, M. R. (2021). The Natural Genus Vanda. Redland Press.
3. WOOD, I., SAMEJIMA, F. D. L. A., & Juri RAPSILBER, W. C. Regulation mapping of the mitotic chromosome structure with using multi classifier combinational proteomics.
4. ธนากร วง ษ ศา, อภินันท์ ลิ้ม มงคล, & อนุพันธ์ ก ง บังเกิด. (2013). "การ ศึกษา ความ สัมพันธ์ ทาง พันธุกรรม ของ กล้วยไม้ สกุล ช้าง (Rhynchostylis Bl.; Orchidaceae) ด้วย วิธี Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP)." Genomics and Genetics, 6(1), 1-10.
5. Raguso, R. A., & Pichersky, E. (1999). New Perspectives in Pollination Biology: Floral Fragrances. A day in the life of a linalool molecule: Chemical communication in a plant‐pollinator system. Part 1: Linalool biosynthesis in flowering plants. Plant Species Biology, 14(2), 95-120.