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Vanda W. Jones ex R. Br. 1820, is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae) which, although not large (about fifty species), is one of the most important florally.

Description

The name "Vanda" is derived from the Sanskrit name for the species Vanda tessellata.

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

The genus has a monopodial growth habit with leaves that are highly variable according to habitat. Some have flat, typically broad, ovoid leaves (strap-leaves), while others have cylindrical (terete), fleshy leaves and are adapted to dry periods. The stems of these orchids vary considerably in size; there are miniature plants and plants with a length of several meters.

There are few to many flattened flowers growing 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. Vandas usually bloom every few months and the flowers last for two to three weeks:

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 entire orchid family. This has contributed much to the work of hybridists producing flowers for the cut flower market. Vanda coerulea is one of the few botanical orchids with blue flowers (actually a very bluish purple; there are no truly blue orchids), a property much appreciated for producing interspecific and intergeneric hybrids. Vanda dearei is one of the chief sources of yellow color in Vanda hybrids.

The Vanda Miss Joaquim is the National Flower of Singapore.

Many Vanda orchids (especially Vanda coerulea) are endangered, because of habitat destruction. The export of wild-collected specimens of the Blue Orchid (Vanda coerulea) and other wild Vandas is prohibited worldwide, as all orchids are listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Species

• Vanda alpina (Himalaya to China - S. Yunnan).
• Vanda arbuthnotiana (India).
• Vanda arcuata (Indonesia - Sulawesi).
• Vanda bensonii (Assam to Thailand).
• Vanda bicolor (Bhutan).
• Vanda bidupensis (Vietnam).
• Vanda brunnea (China - Yunnan to Indo-China).
• Vanda caerulea : Blue Orchid (Assam to China - S. Yunnan)
• Vanda caerulescens (Arunachal Pradesh to China - S. Yunnan).
• Vanda celebica (Indonesia – Sulawesi).
• Vanda chlorosantha (Bhutan).
• Vanda concolor (S. China to Vietnam).

• Vanda cristata (Himalaya to China - NW. Yunnan).
• Vanda dearei (Borneo).
• Vanda denisoniana (China - Yunnan to N. Indo-China).
• Vanda devoogtii (Sulawesi).
• Vanda foetida (S. Sumatra).
• Vanda furva (Java, Maluku).
• Vanda fuscoviridis (S. China to Vietnam).
• Vanda griffithii (E. Himalaya).
• Vanda hastifera (Borneo).
  • Vanda hastifera var. gibbsiae (N. Borneo).
  • Vanda hastifera var. hastifera (Borneo).
• Vanda helvola (W. Malaysia).
• Vanda hindsii (Papuasia to N. Queensland).

• Vanda insignis (Lesser Sunda Is.).
• Vanda jainii (Assam).
• Vanda javierae (Philippines).
• Vanda lamellata (Taiwan (to Philippines, N. Borneo).
• Vanda leucostele (N. & W. Sumatra).
• Vanda lilacina (China - Yunnan to Indo-China).
• Vanda limbata (Java, Lesser Sunda Is., Philippines).
• Vanda lindenii (Maluku).
• Vanda liouvillei (Assam to Indo-China).
• Vanda lombokensis (Lesser Sunda Is.).
• Vanda luzonica (Philippines - Luzon).
• Vanda merrillii (Philippines).
• Vanda petersiana (Myanmar).
• Vanda pumila (Nepal to Hainan and N. Sumatra).
• Vanda punctata (Pen. Malaysia).
• Vanda roeblingiana (Philippines).
• Vanda scandens (Borneo, Philippines - Mindanao).

• Vanda spathulata (India -Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka).
• Vanda stangeana (India - Arunachal Pradesh to Assam).
• Vanda subconcolor (China - SW. Yunnan to Hainan).
  • Vanda subconcolor var. disticha (Hainan).
  • Vanda subconcolor var. subconcolor (China - SW. Yunnan to Hainan).
• Vanda sumatrana (Sumatra).
• Vanda tessellata (Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China).
• Vanda testacea (Indian Subcontinent to SC. China).
• Vanda thwaitesii (Sri Lanka).
• Vanda tricolor (Laos, Java to Bali).
• Vanda vipanii (Myanmar).
• Vanda wightii (S. India)

Natural hybrids

• Vanda × boumaniae (V. insignis × V. limbata) (Lesser Sunda Is.).
• Vanda × charlesworthii (V. bensonii × V. caerulea) (Myanmar).
• Vanda × confusa (V. caerulescens × V. lilacina) (Myanmar).

Intergeneric hybrids

• Aeridovanda (Aerides x Vanda)
• Aeridovanisia (Aerides x Luisia x Vanda)
• Alphonsoara (Arachnis x Ascocentrum x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Andrewara (Arachnis x Renanthera x Trichoglottis x Vanda)
• Aranda (Arachnis x Vanda)
• Ascocenda (Ascocentrum x Vanda)
• Ascovandoritis (Ascocentrum x Doritis x Vanda)
• Bokchoonara (Arachnis x Ascocentrum x Phalaenopsis x Vanda)
• Bovornara (Arachnis x Ascocentrum x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Burkillara (Aerides x Arachnis x Vanda)
• Charlieara (Rhynchostylis x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Christieara (Aerides x Ascocentrum x Vanda)
• Darwinara (Ascocentrum x Neofinetia x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Debruyneara (Ascocentrum x Luisia x Vanda)
• Devereuxara (Ascocentrum x Phalaenopsis x Vanda)
• Eastonara (Ascocentrum x Gastrochilus x Vanda)
• Fujiora (Ascocentrum x Trichoglottis x Vanda)
• Goffara (Luisia x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Hawaiiara (Renanthera x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Hagerara (Doritis x Phalaenopsis x Vanda)
• Himoriara (Ascocentrum x Phalaenopsis x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Holttumara (Arachnis x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Isaoara (Aerides x Ascocentrum x Phalaenopsis x Vanda)
• Joannara (Renanthera x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Kagawara (Ascocentrum x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Knappara (Ascocentrum x Rhynchostylis x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Knudsonara (Ascocentrum x Neofinetia x Renanthera x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Leeara (Arachnis x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Luisanda (Luisia x Vanda)
• Luivanetia (Luisia x Neofinetia x Vanda)
• Lewisara (Aerides x Arachnis x Ascocentrum x Vanda)
• Maccoyara (Aerides x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Macekara (Arachnis x Phalaenopsis x Renanthera x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Micholitzara (Aerides x Ascocentrum x Neofinetia x Vanda)
• Moirara (Phalaenopsis x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Mokara (Arachnis x Ascocentrum x Vanda)
• Nakamotoara (Ascocentrum x Neofinetia x Vanda)
• Nobleara (Aerides x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Okaara (Ascocentrum x Renanthera x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Onoara (Ascocentrum x Renanthera x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Opsisanda (Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Pageara (Ascocentrum x Luisia x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Pantapaara (Ascoglossum x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Paulara (Ascocentrum x Doritis x Phalaenopsis x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Pehara (Aerides x Arachnis x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Pereiraara (Aerides x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Phalaerianda (Aerides x Phalaenopsis x Vanda)
• Raganara (Renanthera x Trichoglottis x Vanda)
• Ramasamyara (Arachnis x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)* Rhynchovanda (Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Renafinanda (Neofinetia x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Renanda (Arachnis x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Renantanda (Renanthera x Vanda)
• Ridleyare (Arachnis x Trichoglottis x Vanda)
• Robinaria (Aerides x Ascocentrum x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Ronnyara (Aerides x Ascocentrum x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Sanjumeara (Aerides x Neofinetia x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Sarcovanda (Sarcochilus x Vanda)
• Shigeuraara (Ascocentrum x Ascoglossum x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Stamariaara (Ascocentrum x Phalaenopsis x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Sutingara (Arachnis x Ascocentrum x Phalaenopsis x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Teohara (Arachnis x Renanthera x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Trevorara (Arachnis x Phalaenopsis x Vanda)
• Trichovanda (Trichoglottis x Vanda)
• Vascostylis (Ascocentrum x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Vandachnis (Arachnis x Vandopsis)
• Vancampe (Acampe x Vanda)
• Vandaenopsis (Phalaenopsis x Vanda)
• Vandaeranthes (Aeranthes x Vanda)
• Vandewegheara (Ascocentrum x Doritis x Phalaenopsis x Vanda)
• Vandofinetia (Neofinetia x Vanda)
• Vandofinides (Aerides x Neofinetia x Vanda)
• Vandoritis (Doritis x Vanda)
• Vanglossum (Ascoglossum x Vanda)
• Wilkinsara (Ascocentrum x Vanda x Vandopsis)
• Yapara (Phalaenopsis x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)
• Yusofara (Arachnis x Ascocentrum x Renanthera x Vanda)
• Yonezawaara (Neofinetia x Rhynchostylis x Vanda)

Reference

Martin R. Motes, Alan L. Hoffman : Vandas (their botany, history and culture) (1997) ISBN 0881923761

External links

• Vanda Miss Joaquim

Vanda (originally Wanda) is also a girl from Polish legend who committed suicide because she was forced to marry a German knight. There is an ancient (earlier than 8th century) monument in the form of an artificial hill devoted to her in Krakow.

Vanda is also the Swedish name of the municipality of Vantaa, Finland.