2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Vandopsis (lat. Vandopsis) - a genus of herbaceous epiphytic perennial plants belonging to the Orchid family (Latin Orchidaceae). Differs in powerful stems covered with fleshy, belt-like leaves. To match the stem with leaves and powerful inflorescences, collected from numerous large flowers, bright and fleshy.
What's in your name
The external similarity of plants of this genus with plants of the genus Vanda (lat. Vanda) pushed botanists to the Latin name of the genus "Vandopsis", which in Russian means "Reminiscent of Wanda", since genetically the plants of these two genera differ from each other.
In the literature on floriculture, instead of the full Latin name of the genus, the abbreviation “Vdps” is abbreviated to four letters.
Description
Although in general plants of the genus Vandopsis are classified as epiphytic plants growing on trees of warm and humid tropics, there are species among them whose roots have found shelter in crevices of mountain slopes, thereby being lithophytic plants. And some can grow on the ground.
Plants of the genus do not skimp on size, representing large or medium-sized natural creatures with a monopodial type of growth. Their airy, milky white roots are like wires that carry nutrients to feed the awe-inspiring plant.
Erect, powerful stems with short internodes give rise to fleshy belt-like green leaves, bending their rounded or pointed ends on opposite sides of the stem, turning the orchid into a kind of palm or Christmas tree.
Erect or curved peduncles show the world spectacular inflorescences of numerous large flowers, fleshy and brightly colored by the artist-nature. Similar sepals and flower petals freely spread their bright details, decorating the inflorescence. The most iconic part of the flower - the lip, is attached to the base of the short column with the lateral lobes, teasing the audience, as if with a tongue, with its long, fleshy middle lobe.
Varieties
Different sources attribute a different number of species to the genus Vandopsis, which is generally characteristic of plants of the Orchid family in view of their multiplicity and diversity. This number varies from 4 (four) to at least 10 (ten) representatives of the genus, born in the tropics of Southeast Asia and the islands of New Guinea and the Philippines. Several species of the genus:
* Vandopsis giant (lat. Vandopsis gigantea) - the first description of the plant belongs to John Lindley (1799 - 1865). This species amazes the imagination with the giant size of the fleshy ribbed leaves, bending in different directions from the powerful stem. From the axils of the leaves, powerful peduncles are born with racemose inflorescences from numerous fragrant flowers with variegated petals. The plant can be an epiphyte or a lithophyte, putting its roots into rock crevices to extract nutrients.
* Vandopsis beautiful (lat. Vandopsis spectabilis) - shows elegant inflorescences of flowers with yellow petals, dotted with purple-red miniature circles.
* Vandopsis wavy (lat. Vandopsis undulata) - an epiphytic plant that sometimes lives on the ground. It has long roots and a stem covered with vaginal leaves. Inflorescences are lightly colored. Sepals and petals are white, only the lip is different in color, sometimes becoming lemon yellow with purple-red streaks at the base. The lip is three-lobed and fleshy, adjacent to the column.
Usage
Powerful plants of the genus "Vandopsis" and their hybrids with bright flowering have occupied a certain niche among tropical orchids, popular in greenhouse and indoor floriculture. They represent the glorious Orchidaceae family in many botanical gardens around the world.
