Spoon-Leaf Vanda is an orchid found growing on
trees in South India. It prefers to grow on small trees and bushes in
open sun. Leaves occur in 2-ranks, up to 6 x 1.5 cm, oblong or
spoon-shaped, 2-lobed at tip, leathery, base sheathing, stalkless.
Flowers are borne in leaf opposed racemes with 6-8 flowers. Flowers are
yellow, 4 cm across. Sepals are 2.5 cm, obovate, narrowed to the base.
Petals are more or less similar to the sepals. Lip is 3-lobed, spur up
to 0.5 cm. Column is up to 1 cm. Spoon-Leaf Vanda is found in South
India and Sri Lanka. In India It is found in Karnataka, Kerala and
Tamil Nadu. Flowering: September-January.
Medicinal uses: Spoon-Leaf Vanda is also used
in folk and Ayurvedic medicine, dried flowers are powdered and the
juice is used for a variety of illnesses such as asthma and depression.
It is thought it may have some memory enhancing properties and its
antioxidant activity has been investigated.
Identification credit: S. Jeevith
Photographed at Madukkarai Hills, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
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The flower labeled Spoon-Leaf Vanda is ...