Papilionanthe vandarum

Papilionanthe vandarum is a species of epiphytic orchid native to India, China, Myanmar, and Nepal.[5] It is closely related to Papilionanthe biswasiana.

Papilionanthe vandarum
Detail of Papilionanthe vandarum flower
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Papilionanthe
Species:
P. vandarum
Binomial name
Papilionanthe vandarum
(Rchb.f.) Garay[1]
Synonyms
  • Aerides vandarum Rchb.f. [2]
  • Vanda vandarum (Rchb.f.) K.Karas. [3]
  • Aerides cylindrica Hook. [4] nom. illeg.

Description

This species is adapted to drought and can grow in full sun. Flexible, long and slender stems bear terete, distichously arranged leaves with cuticular papillae and specialised, club-shaped water-storage cells are found within the mesophyll. The cuticle is very thick and may reach a thickness of 19 µm on the adaxial leaf surface and 17.5 µm on the abaxial leaf surface.[6] Few flowers, resembling Vanda flowers, hence the specific epithet vandarum, are produced on axillary racemes. The floral morphology of the fragrant, predominantly white flowers infers entomophily and they are thought to be pollinated by moths. The three-lobed labellum bears a 1.6 cm long, slender, bent or curved spur, which has unicellular, or occasionally bicellular, secretory trichomes.[7] Spindle-shaped, 0.3 mm long seeds with pointed ends are formed in capsules.[8]

Ecology

The plants may grow at altitudes of 1028 to 1740 m a.s.l. and flowering occurs in May to September or June to July.

Conservation

This species is rare and endangered.[9]

Images

References
  1. Bot. Mus. Leafl. 23: 372 (1974).
  2. Gard. Chron. 1867: 997 (1867).
  3. Orchid Atlas 8: 199 (1992).
  4. Bot. Mag. 83: t. 4982 (1857).
  5. "Papilionanthe vandarum (RCHB.f.) Garay | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science".
  6. Angela, N., Chowlu, K., Sharma, B. H., Rao, N. A., & Vij, S. P. (2015). Anatomy of some terete-leaved orchid species. Agriculture and Natural Resources, 49(1), 13-21.
  7. Małgorzata Stpiczyńska, Kevin L. Davies, Magdalena Kamińska, Comparative anatomy of the nectary spur in selected species of Aeridinae (Orchidaceae), Annals of Botany, Volume 107, Issue 3, March 2011, Pages 327–345, https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcq246
  8. Tongbram, J., Rao, A. N., & Vij, S. P. (2012). Seed morphometric studies in some orchids from Manipur. J. Orch. Soc. Ind, 26(1-2), 25-2.
  9. Kishor, R., Devi, H.S., Jeyaram, K. et al. Molecular characterization of reciprocal crosses of Aerides vandarum and Vanda stangeana (Orchidaceae) at the protocorm stage. Plant Biotechnol Rep 2, 145 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11816-008-0053-8


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