WATCH IT GROW
These orchids thrive in full sun
Posted on Sun, Mar. 16, 2008
By GEORGIA TASKER
GEORGIA TASKER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
This orchid belongs to the 'terete vanda' species. Papilionanthe teres has golden lobes on its lip.
Name: Two ''terete vanda'' species
Botanical name: Papilionanthe teres and Papilionanthe tricuspidata
Description: These species, once classified as vandas, are among the 10 that have terete or cylindrical leaves that may have formed by rolling in on themselves to thrive in full sun. The plants are from the warm Asian tropics and grow to be quite tall.
The genus name is constructed from papilio, meaning butterfly, and anthe for flower. Ple. tricuspidata has three little hooks on the end of its lip. Papilionanthe teres is one parent of Ple. (Vanda) Miss Joaquim, a natural hybrid found in Singapore in 1893 and named the national flower in 1981. Ple.teres is especially bright with its golden lobes on the lip, which is touched with lavender and dotted with red. There is an alba form of Ple. teres that also grows well in South Florida. The Jan.-March 2008 issue of Orchid Digest features a story on some of the Papilionanthe species and hybrids that are widely grown (www.orchiddigest.org).
Height: 8-plus feet
Light: full sun
Culture: Sun-loving terete vandas are perfect for growing up palm trees, along chain-link fences, or in garden beds. Because they need support, several cuttings also can be attached with twist ties to cylinders of wire fencing. Pot these in coconut chips or wood to retain moisture around the base; but roots will be produced along the slender stems and sent out sideways, either to remain exposed or cling to a palm trunk. These terete vandas like high humidity, water and ample fertilizer.
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