Vanda dearei Rchb. f. 1886

Inflorescence Photo courtesy of Nik Fahmi Vortex Orchid Pages

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Common Name Deare's Vanda [English Officer and Plant collector in burma 1800's]

Flower Size 2 3/4" to 3.6" [7 to 9 cm]

Found in lowland Borneo in riverine forests at elevations of sealevel to 300 meters as a giant sized, hot growing epiphyte, this species was extensively used in hybridisation and is the major source of yellow colour in Vanda hybrids. The species itself is, however not commonly seen. The erect to semi-pendulous, stout stem completely enveloped basally by imbricate leafbearing sheaths and carrying crowded, ligualte, bilobed and irregularily toothed apically, thick, coriaceous, conduplicate below into the base leaves. The few [5 to 8], fleshy, strongly fragrant flowers have a lot of substance and are very fragrant yet are laxly arranged on 1 to 2, short to 6" [15 cm] long, laxly flowered, lateral stems crowded among the leaves. It does bloom at various times of the year with very long-lasting flowers.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Borneo Chan, Shim, Lamb & Wood 1994; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; AOS Bulletin Vol 70 No 9 2001 photo;

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