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

Vanda coelestis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Vanda
Species:
V. coelestis
Binomial name
Vanda coelestis
(Rchb.f.) Motes
Synonyms[1]
Closeup view of Vanda coelestis inflorescence

Description

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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

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

Taxonomy

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The former placement of this species within Rhynchostylis has been disputed.[2] One study identifies this species as the sister group to all other Rhynchostylis species on the basis of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism.[4]

Etymology

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The specific epithet coelestis, derived from the Latin caelum meaning the sky, heavenly, refers to the blue floral colouration.[2]

Pollination

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Pollination occurs during daytime through bees.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Vanda coelestis (Rchb.f.) Motes". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c 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.