''Vanda cristata'' is a species of

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

found growing in the

Himalaya The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...

from

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 , ...

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 ...

(northwestern

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 ...

) at elevations of 600 – 2300 meters.

Description

"Unlike most of the other epiphytic orchids, ''Vanda cristata'' have a single stem up to 60cm (24 inch) tall rising from a tuft of roots and do not have pseudobulbs. Thick, fleshy aerial roots are often produced on the stem and these may hang down the outside of the container in which the indoor ''Vanda cristata'' are planted. The pale green leathery leaves which are strap shaped, grow all along the stem. The stem carry nearly opposite, arching, deeply channeled leaves 13-18cm (5-7 inch) long and 1-2cm (0.4-0.8 inch) wide, with slightly toothed, bunt tips. Flower stalks 10-15cm (4-6 inch) long appearing from the leaf axils in spring and summer bear up to seven waxy flowers about 5cm (2 inch) across. These flowers stalks can appear from between every third leaf or so. Each stalk produces several fragrant flowers which last for several weeks up to two months. Sepals and petals are yellowish green to creamy yellow. The short, oblong green-and-yellow lip has deep purple red lines near the base and is three-lobed."

Taxonomy

''Vanda cristata'' was collected in 1818 by Nathaniel Wallich in Nepal; He sent live plants to

Kew Gardens Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1759, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...

in England. The first description was published in 1832 by

John Lindley John Lindley Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidology, orchidologist. Early years Born in Old Catton, Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four c ...

. The classification as ''Trudelia cristata'' in the genus ''Trudelia'' is considered synonymous with ''Vanda cristata'', as ''Vanda striata'' File:Vanda cristata - Edwards vol 28 (NS 5) pl 48 (1842).jpg, ''Vanda cristata'' plate 48 in: Edwards's Bot. Register (Orchidaceae), vol. 28, (1842) File:Vanda cristata.jpg, ''Vanda cristata'' plate 4304 in: Curtis's Bot. Magazine (Orchidaceae), vol. 73,(1847) File:Vanda cristata (as Vanda striata)-Xenia 2-150 (1874).jpg, ''Vanda cristata'' (as syn. ''Vanda striata'') plate 150 in: H. G. Reichenbach: Xenia orchidacea - vol. 2 (1874) File:R. Warner & B.S. Williams - The Orchid Album - volume 07 - plate 290 (1888).jpg, ''Vanda cristata'' Plate 290 in: R.Warner - B.S.Williams:The Orchid Album(1882-1897)

References

External links

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Vanda cristata
on Orchid Species cristata Orchids of Yunnan {{Vandeae-stub