Cleisostoma simondii - Cylindrical-Leaf Vanda

Cylindrical-Leaf Vanda is an erect, round leafed, small sized tree-dwelling orchid with an erect stem enveloped completely by overlapping, leaf bearing sheaths. It is named for Paul-Louis Simond (1858-1947), a famous colonial doctor, an observer of nature and excellent botanist. The stem carries round, fleshy, linear, somewhat pointed to blunt, stalkless, jointed leaves. The plant blooms on an arching then drooping, slender, 10-28 cm long, simple to paniculate, several (11 to 20) flowered cluster in leaf axils, carrying small, long-lasting flowers. Flowers are yellowish green with purplish red veins, somewhat fleshy; lip mid-lobe purple-red or yellowish white; flower-stalk and ovary 7-10 mm. Sepals are oblong, 6-7 x 3-4 mm, rounded. Petals are similar to sepals and smaller, blunt; lip lateral lobes erect, triangular; mid-lobe ovate-triangular, thickly fleshy, tip pointed, base with a central triangular projection; spur nearly spherical, laterally compressed, about 4 mm in diameter. Column is about 3 mm, densely white hairy at base in front; rostellum broadly triangular; anther cap slightly elongate and flat at tip. Cylindrical-Leaf Vanda is native to Nepal, East Himalaya to S China and Indo-China. Flowering: August-September.