!Arachnanthe cathcartii [Lindley] Benth. & Hooker 1889 Photo courtesy of Dale and Deni Borders

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Common Name Cathcart's Arachnanthe [Englishman In India 1800's]

Flower Size 3 - 3 1/2" [7.5 to 8.75 cm]

Found in the NE India, eastern Himalayas, Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim in tropical broadleaf forests near streams in cool shade at elevations of 600 to 2000 meters this genus is also known as Esmeralda. It is a giant sized, warm to cool growing, vandanaceous, epiphytic plant with an elongate stem carrying alternate, oblong, coriaceous leaves that blooms in the spring and summer on a stout, axillary, 7 1/5" [18 cm] long, pendulous or horizontal, 3 to 6 flowered inflorescence with waxy, very fragrant, long-lived flowers and needs a wood slat basket and cultural conditions as per Vanda.

Synonyms Arachnis cathcartii [Lindley] J.J.Smith 1912; Esmeralda cathcarti Rchb.f 1874; *Vanda cathcarti Lindley 1853

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Esmeralda cathcarti; The Orchids of Sikkim-Himalaya Part 1 King & Pantling 1898 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 1 1958 drawing as Arachnanthe cathcartii; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 10 1958 drawing as Esmeralda cathcartii; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 8 1983 photo; Orchids of Bhutan Pearce & Cribb 2002 as Esmeralda cathcartii; The Orchids of Malaya Holtum 1953 as Arachnis cathcartii; The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1987 as Arachnis cathcartii; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 as Esmeralda cathcartii; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1997 as Esmeralda clarkei; Orchids of India A Glimpse Misra 2007 drawing fide;

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