Vanda

Vanda
Vanda coerulea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Tribe:	Vandeae
Subtribe:	Aeridinae
Genus:	Vanda Gaud. ex Pfitzer
Type species
Vanda roxburghii R.Br.[1]
Synonyms[2]
Ascocentrum Schltr. Euanthe Schltr. Finetia Schltr. Neofinetia Hu Nipponorchis Masam. Eparmatostigma Garay Trudelia Garay × Trudelianda Garay Christensonia Haager Ascocentropsis Senghas & Schildh. Gunnaria S.C.Chen ex Z.J.Liu & L.J.Chen

Vanda, abbreviated in the horticultural trade as V.,^[3] is a genus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. There are 90 species,^[2] and the genus is commonly cultivated for the marketplace. This genus and its allies are considered to be among the most specifically adapted of all orchids within the Orchidaceae. The genus is highly prized in horticulture for its showy, fragrant, long-lasting, and intensely colorful flowers.^[4] 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.^[2][5]

The generic name Vanda is derived from the Sanskrit (वन्दाका)^[6] name for the species Vanda roxburghii (a synonym of Vanda tessellata).^[7][8]

These mostly epiphytic, but sometimes lithophytic or terrestrial orchids, are distributed in India, Himalaya, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, southern China, and northern Australia.^[7]

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 pneumatodes.^[9]

The few to many flattened flowers 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.

Vanda falcata has been reported to be pollinated by several hawkmoth species of the genus Theretra, namely Theretra japonica and Theretra nessus.^[10]

Many Vanda orchids, particularly V. coerulea, are endangered. These species have never been common in the wild and are typically encountered only infrequently in their natural habitats. They grow mainly in disturbed forest areas with high light levels and are therefore especially vulnerable to habitat destruction.^[4] 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 in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

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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.^{[citation needed]} 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.

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.^[11] If cutting tools are not sterilized the infection may spread to other plants.^[12]

In a recent molecular study of the genus Vanda ,^[13] several Genera including the former Genus Ascocentrum, Neofinetia and Euanthe were brought into synonym with Vanda.^[2]

The following is a list of Vanda species recognised by Plants of the World Online as of January 2025 separated by sections:^[14][2]

Section	Image	Name	Year	Distribution	Elevation (m)
Section Ascocentrum Gardiner		Vanda ampullacea (Roxb.) L.M.Gardiner	1914	Nepal, China (southern Yunnan), India (Sikkim, Andaman Islands, Assam), Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam	300–1,500 metres (980–4,920 ft)
		Vanda aurantiaca (Schltr.) L.M.Gardiner	2012	Bali, Sulawesi and the Philippines	1,200 metres (3,900 ft)
		Vanda aurea (J.J.Sm.) L.M.Gardiner	2012	Maluku (Sula)
		Vanda curvifolia (Lindl.) L.M.Gardiner	2012	India (Assam), Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, southern China and Vietnam	0–700 metres (0–2,297 ft)
		Vanda garayi (Christenson) L.M.Gardiner	2012	Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam	0–1,000 metres (0–3,281 ft)
		Vanda insularum (Christenson) L.M.Gardiner	2012	Maratua island to the east of Kalimantan, Borneo
		Vanda karinae Motes	2021	India (Assam)
		Vanda miniata (Lindl.) L.M.Gardiner	2012	Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and the Philippines
		Vanda rubra (Lindl.) L.M.Gardiner	2012	Myanmar, Vietnam
Section Ascocentropsis Gardiner		Vanda christensoniana (Haager) L.M.Gardiner	1993	Vietnam	0–700 metres (0–2,297 ft)
		Vanda hienii (Aver. & V.C.Nguyen) R.Rice	2019	Vietnam (Cao Bang)	1,300 metres (4,300 ft)
		Vanda malipoensis L.H.Zou, Jiu X.Huang & Z.J.Liu	2014	China (Yunnan)
		Vanda nana L.M.Gardiner	2012	Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia
Section Cristatae Lindl.[15]		Vanda alpina (Lindl.) Lindl.	1853	India (Assam, Sikkim), Nepal, Bhutan, China (Yunnan)	1,200–2,000 metres (3,900–6,600 ft)
		Vanda chlorosantha (Garay) Christenson	1992	Bhutan
		Vanda cristata Wall. ex Lindl.	1828	Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, China (Yunnan, Xizang)	600–2,300 metres (2,000–7,500 ft)
		Vanda flavobrunnea Rchb.f.	1886	India(Sikkim), Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Sumatra	700–1,400 metres (2,300–4,600 ft)
		Vanda griffithii Lindl.	1851	Nepal, Bhutan	1,500–1,800 metres (4,900–5,900 ft)
		Vanda jainii A.S.Chauhan	1984	India (Assam)
		Vanda longitepala D.L.Roberts, L.M.Gardiner & Motes	2008 publ. 2009	Myanmar	1,200–1,500 metres (3,900–4,900 ft)
		Vanda sathishii Motes	2022	India (Kerala)
Section Dactylolobatae W. Suarez & Cootes, Philipp[16]		Vanda aliceae Motes, L.M.Gardiner & D.L.Roberts	2015	Bacan Island, North Moluccas
		Vanda celebica Rolfe	1899	Indonesia (Sulawesi)	500–600 metres (1,600–2,000 ft)
		Vanda crassiloba Teijsm. & Binn. ex J.J.Sm.	1905	Maluku (Ambon, Seram)
		Vanda frankieana Metusala & P.O'Byrne	2011	Borneo (Kalimantan)
		Vanda gibbsiae Rolfe	1914	Borneo	800–1,100 metres (2,600–3,600 ft)
		Vanda hastifera Rchb.f.	1877	Borneo	600–1,200 metres (2,000–3,900 ft)
		Vanda lindenii Rchb.f.	1886	New Guinea
		Vanda mindanaoensis Motes, L.M.Gardiner & D.L.Roberts	2015	Philippines (Mindanao)	500 metres (1,600 ft)
		Vanda saxatilis J.J.Sm.	1926	Buru Islands, Maluku, Indonesia
		Vanda scandens Holttum	1950	Philippines ( Mindanao, Palawan)
Section Deltoglossa Christenson		Vanda arcuata J.J.Sm.	1907	Indonesia - Sulawesi
		Vanda bartholomewii Motes	2021	Maluku
		Vanda chirayupiniae Wannakr.	1894	Malaysia, the Philippines	1,500 metres (4,900 ft)
		Vanda cootesii Motes	2016	Philippines (Mindano)	400–1,500 metres (1,300–4,900 ft)
		Vanda dearei Rchb.f.	1886	Borneo	0–300 metres (0–984 ft)
		Vanda devoogtii J.J.Sm.	1932	Sulawesi
		Vanda emilyae Motes	2021	Papua New Guinea to Bismarck Archipelago.
		Vanda floresensis Motes	2021	Lesser Sunda Islands (Flores)
		Vanda foetida J.J.Sm.	1906	S. Sumatra
		Vanda furva (L.) Lindl.	1905	Java, Maluku	100–600 metres (330–1,970 ft)
		Vanda helvola Blume	1849	Java, Sumatra, Borneo and western Malaysia, Philippines	400–1,500 metres (1,300–4,900 ft)
		Vanda hindsii Lindl.	1843	Papuasia, Australia (N. Queensland)	0–450 metres (0–1,476 ft)
		Vanda insignis Blume ex Lindl.	1849	Lesser Sunda Is., Malaysia, the Moluccas
		Vanda jennae P.O'Byrne & J.J.Verm.	2005	Sulawesi
		Vanda limbata Blume	1849	Java, Lesser Sunda Is., the Philippines (Mindanao)	3–700 metres (9.8–2,296.6 ft)
		Vanda lombokensis J.J.Sm.	1925	Lesser Sunda (Lombok Island)	1,200 metres (3,900 ft)
		Vanda luzonica Loher ex Rolfe	1915	Philippines (Luzon)	500 metres (1,600 ft)
		Vanda mariae Motes	2016	Philippines (Mindanao)
		Vanda merrillii Ames & Quisumb.	1932	Philippines (Luzon)	500 metres (1,600 ft)
		Vanda metusalae P.O'Byrne & J.J.Verm.	2008	Moluccas, Sulawesi	100–600 metres (330–1,970 ft)
		Vanda perplexa Motes & D.L.Roberts	2013	Komodo Island of the Lesser Sunda Islands
		Vanda punctata Ridl.	1923	Lesser Sunda Islands (Tanimbar Islands)
		Vanda suavis Lindl.	1848	Java
		Vanda sumatrana Schltr.	1911	Sumatra	300–1,000 metres (980–3,280 ft)
		Vanda tricolor Lindl.	1849	Laos, Java, Bali	700–1,600 metres (2,300–5,200 ft)
		Vanda ustii Golamco, Claustro & de Mesa	2000	Philippines (Luzon)	1,250 metres (4,100 ft)
Section Eparmatostigma Gardiner		Vanda dives (Rchb.f.) L.M.Gardiner	2012	Vietnam, Laos
Section Flabellatae Gardiner		Vanda flabellata (Rolfe ex Downie) Christenson	1985	Thailand, Myanmar, China (Yunnan)	200–1,700 metres (660–5,580 ft)
		Vanda lilacina Teijsm. & Binn.	1862	China (Yunnan), Thailand and Laos	100–1,000 metres (330–3,280 ft)
		Vanda vietnamica (Haager) L.M.Gardiner	2012	Vietnam	0–700 metres (0–2,297 ft)
Section Lamellaria Lindl.[16]		Vanda barnesii W.E.Higgins & Motes	2012	Philippines (North Luzon)	1,200–1,600 metres (3,900–5,200 ft)
		Vanda javierae D.Tiu ex Fessel & Lückel	1984	Philippines (Luzon)	1,200 metres (3,900 ft)
		Vanda lamellata Lindl.	1838	Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands, Philippines, Borneo (Sabah), and the Marianas Islands	0–300 metres (0–984 ft)
		Vanda roeblingiana Rolfe	1894	penninsular Malaysia,the Philippines (Luzon)
		Vanda sanderiana (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f.	1882	Philippines (Mindanao)	0–500 metres (0–1,640 ft)
Section Neofinetia Gardiner		Vanda falcata (Thunb.) Beer	1854	Japan, China (Fujian, S Gansu, SW Hubei, W Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang), Korea and the Ryukyu Islands	1,500–1,600 metres (4,900–5,200 ft)
Section Longicalcarata Christenson		Vanda coerulea Griff. ex Lindl.	1847	China (Yunnan), India(Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya), Myanmar and Thailand	800–1,700 metres (2,600–5,600 ft)
		Vanda coerulescens Griff.	1851	India(Assam, Arunachal Pradesh), China (Yunnan), Myanmar, Thailand	300–1,200 metres (980–3,940 ft)
Section Obtusiloba Christenson		Vanda bicolor Griff.	1851	India (Assam), Bhutan and Myanmar	700–2,000 metres (2,300–6,600 ft)
		Vanda brunnea Rchb.f.	1868	India, Myanmar, Thailand, China (Yunnan)	800–1,550 metres (2,620–5,090 ft)
		Vanda denisoniana Benson & Rchb.f.	1869	China (Yunnan), Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam	450–1,200 metres (1,480–3,940 ft)
		Vanda gardinerae Motes	2021	Thailand.
		Vanda vipanii Rchb.f.	1882	Myanmar
Section Testacea Gardiner		Vanda bensonii Bateman	1866	India (Assam), Myanmar and Thailand
		Vanda funingensis L.H.Zou & Z.J.Liu	2016	China (Yunnan)
		Vanda liouvillei Finet	1912	India (Assam), Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos
		Vanda parviflora Lindl.	1844	Myanmar and Thailand	780–2,000 metres (2,560–6,560 ft)
		Vanda testacea (Lindl.) Rchb.f.	1877	Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India(Assam), China, Nepal and Bhutan	780–2,000 metres (2,560–6,560 ft)
Section Vanda		Vanda bidupensis Aver. & Christenson	1998	Vietnam	1,450–1,750 metres (4,760–5,740 ft)
		Vanda concolor Blume	1849	China (Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan), Vietnam	700–1,600 metres (2,300–5,200 ft)
		Vanda esquirolii Schltr.	1921	China (SW. Guizhou, Guangxi), Laos, Vietnam
		Vanda fuscoviridis Lindl.	1848	China (Guangdong) to Vietnam
		Vanda gracilis Aver.	2015	Vietnam	200–250 metres (660–820 ft)
		Vanda hennisiana Ormerod & Kurzweil	2022	Myanmar, Vietnam
		Vanda motesiana Choltco	2009	India (Arunachal Pradesh )
		Vanda tessellata (Roxb.) Hook. ex G.Don	1830	China (Yunnan), India (Assam), Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar	1,500 metres (4,900 ft)
		Vanda thwaitesii Hook.f.	1898	India (Kerala, Karnataka), Sri Lanka	800–1,000 metres (2,600–3,300 ft)
		Vanda wightii Rchb.f.	1864	India(Karnataka, Kerala) and Sri Lanka

• Vanda × amoena O'Brien 1897 (V. coerulea × V. tessellata) (Assam)
• Vanda × boumaniae J.J.Sm. 1931 (V. insignis × V. perplexa) (Lesser Sunda Is.)
• Vanda × charlesworthii Rolfe 1894 (V. bensonii × V. coerulea) (Myanmar)
• Vanda × feliciae Cootes 2019 (V. lamellata var. boxallii × V. ustii) (Philippines (Luzon))
• Vanda × hebraica Motes & L.M.Gardiner & D.L.Roberts 2016 (V. denisoniana × V. brunnea) (Myanmar)^[17]
• Vanda × leucostele Schltr. 1911 (V. foetida × V. helvola) (Sumatera)
• Vanda × loii Motes 2021 (V. lamellata × V. merrillii) (Philippines)
• Vanda × peetersiana (Cogn.) André 1898 (V. coerulea × V. coerulescens) (Assam)

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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:

• 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. ISBN 0-88192-376-1

• Media related to Vanda at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Vanda at Wikispecies
• Vanda Miss Joaquim