Vanda coelestis | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Orchidaceae |
Subfamily: | Epidendroideae |
Genus: | Vanda |
Species: | V. coelestis
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Binomial name | |
Vanda coelestis (Rchb.f.) Motes
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Synonyms[1] | |
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Vanda coelestis is a species of orchid native to Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.[1]
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]
The chromosome count of Vanda coelestis is 2n = 38.[3]
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]
The specific epithet coelestis, derived from the Latin caelum meaning the sky, heavenly, refers to the blue floral colouration.[2]
Pollination occurs during daytime through bees.[5]