''Rhynchostylis retusa'' (also called foxtail orchid) is an orchid belonging to the ''

Vanda ''Vanda'', abbreviated in the horticultural trade as ''V.,'' is a genus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. There are 90 species, and the genus is commonly cultivated for the marketplace. This genus and its allies are considered to be among the ...

alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...

. The inflorescence is a pendant

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

, consisting of more than 100 pink-spotted white flowers. The plant has a short, stout, creeping stem carrying up to 12, curved, fleshy, deeply channeled, keeled, retuse apically leaves and blooms on an axillary pendant to long, racemose, densely flowered, cylindrical inflorescence that occurs in the winter and early spring.

Distribution

Rhynchostylis retusa infloresence closeup

The plant is an

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

growing on tree trunks in open forests or at forest margins at elevations of . It can be found in

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(

Guizhou ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_map = Guizhou in China (+all claims hatched).svg , mapsize = 275px , map_alt = Map showing the location of Guizhou Province , map_caption = Map s ...

Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

, and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. In India, the plant is most common in the

Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

and

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

. In Andhra Pradesh, the plant is called by Telugu name Chintaranamu. Due to bio-piracy, the plant is on the verge of extinction in India. ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' is recognized as the state flower of

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and la ...

and

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

in India, as well as the provincial flower of

Uva Province The Uva Province (, , ) is one of the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. The province has an area of 8,500 km2 and a population of 1,266,463, making it the 2nd least populated province. The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by the East ...

in Sri Lanka. Rhynchostylis gigantea of Assam 2

Care

The plant requires regular watering and applications of fertilizer throughout the year, although it will die if the leaves are wet frequently. It prefers indirect light. Flowering usually occurs in late spring.

Medicinal uses

Malabar District Malabar District, also known as British Malabar or simply Malabar was an administrative district on the southwestern Malabar Coast of Bombay Presidency (1792–1800), Madras Presidency (1800–1950) and finally, Madras State (1950–1956) in ...

various preparations of the plant were used against

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

and

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

and for 'nervous twitchings' (referable possibly to

tic disorder Tic disorders are defined in the ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM) based on type (motor or phonic) and duration of tics (sudden, rapid, nonrhythmic movements). Tic disorders are defined similarly by the World Health ...

cramp A cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful skeletal muscle contraction or overshortening associated with electrical activity. While generally temporary and non-damaging, they can cause significant pain and a paralysis-like immobility of the aff ...

, epileptic spasms,

vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

palpitations Palpitations occur when a person becomes aware of their heartbeat. The heartbeat may feel hard, fast, or uneven in their chest. Symptoms include a very fast or irregular heartbeat. Palpitations are a sensory symptom. They are often described as ...

kidney stone Kidney stone disease (known as nephrolithiasis, renal calculus disease, or urolithiasis) is a crystallopathy and occurs when there are too many minerals in the urine and not enough liquid or hydration. This imbalance causes tiny pieces of cr ...

and

menstrual disorder A menstrual disorder is characterized as any abnormal condition with regards to a woman's menstrual cycle. There are many different types of menstrual disorders that vary with signs and symptoms, including pain during menstruation, heavy bleeding, ...

. The plant has also been used in Assam to treat wounds, cuts and bruises. The plant has been used as an

emollient A moisturizer, or emollient, is a cosmetic preparation used for protecting, moisturizing, and lubricating the skin. These functions are normally performed by sebum produced by healthy skin. The word "emollient" is derived from the Latin verb ''mo ...

in India and

. Under the name of ''rasna'' the root is used to treat

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Significance in Assamese culture

The species is the state flower of

, where it is popularly known as (), and is an integral part of a

Bihu Bihu is an important cultural festival unique to the Indian state of Assam and is of three types – 'Rongali' or ' Bohag Bihu' observed in April, 'Kongali' or ' Kati Bihu' observed in October or November, and 'Bhogali' or ' Magh Bihu' observe ...

dancer's attire. The plant is considered to be a symbol of love, fertility and merriment, and is popular in Assamese wedding ceremonies.

Gallery

File:Rhynchostylis retusa flower transformation.ogg, Transformation of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' from flower buds to seeds. File:Rhynchostylis retusa buds 0.jpg, New Buds of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa buds 1.jpg, New Buds of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa buds 3.jpg, Buds of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa buds 4.jpg, Buds of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa buds 5.jpg, Buds of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa buds 7.jpg, Buds of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa bloom.jpg, Flowers of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa flower.jpg, Flowers of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa flowers 2.jpg, Flowers of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa flowers.jpg, Flowers of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa fruits 0.jpg, New fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa fruits 1.jpg, New fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa fruits 2.jpg, New fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa fruits 4.jpg, Fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa fruits 5.jpg, Fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa fruits 6.jpg, Fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa fruits 7.jpg, Matured fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa seeds 1.jpg, Matured fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa seeds.jpg, Matured fruits of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis retusa roots.jpg, New roots of ''Rhynchostylis retusa'' File:Rhynchostylis-retusa.jpg, Flowers of ''Rhynchostylis retusa''

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2221728 retusa Orchids of Asia Flora of Assam (region) Orchids of Bangladesh Flora of Bhutan Orchids of Cambodia Orchids of China Orchids of Assam Orchids of Indonesia Orchids of Laos Orchids of Malaysia Orchids of Myanmar Orchids of Nepal Orchids of the Philippines Orchids of Singapore Orchids of Sri Lanka Orchids of Thailand Orchids of Vietnam Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus