Vandopsis gigantea (Lindley) Pfitzer 1889 Photo courtesy of Nik Fahmi Vortex Orchid Pages

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Common Name The Giant Vandopsis - In Thailand - Phya chatthan - In China Ni Wan Dai Lan

Flower Size to about 3" [7cm]

Found in central and southern China, Bangladesh, Myanamar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam as a giant sized, hot to warm growing, monopodial, epiphytic or lithophytic species occuring on open mossy rocks and bluffs in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests at elevations around 300 to 1100 meters with recurved, strap-shaped, fleshy leaves that blooms on an axillary, stout, to 16" [40 cm] long, racemose, erect, many flowered inflorescence with vaguely fragrant, long-lasting, very thick textured flowers occuring in the spring and summer.

Synonyms Fieldia gigantea [Lindl.] Rchb. f. 1862; Stauropsis chinensis Rolfe 1907; *Stauropsis gigantea Benth. ex Pfitzer 1882; Vanda gigantea Lindl. 1828; Vanda lindleyana Griff. ex Lindl. & Paxton 1851-2; Vandopsis chinensis Schlechter 1911

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Fieldia gigantea drawing fide; The Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/95 as Stauropsis gigantea; AOS Bulletin Vol 26 No 5 1957 drawing as Stauropsis gigantea; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1959; Beautiful Thai Orchid Species Kamemoto & Sagarik 1975 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 9 1978 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 2 1979 photo; The Orchids of Penninsular Malaysia and Singapore Wood & Seidenfaden 1992 drawing/photo fide; The Wild Orchids of China Tsi, Chen & Mori 1997; Native Orchids of China in Colour Singchi, Zhanhuo and Yibo 1999 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 9 2004 photo; A Field Guide to the Orchids of China Singchi, Zhongjian, Yibo, Xiaohua and Zhanhuo 2009 photo fide; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; The Wild Orchids in Yunnan Xu Xiang Ye & Liu 2010 photos ok

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