Mysterious Vanda

[Lin Goncalves]

Please help. I serve on the National Trust of Zimbabwe Executive Committee. We have an orchid in our collection named after Lady Virginia Courtauld. The information we have to go by reads:-
"The orchid was found by Sir Stephen Courtauld on one of the eastern Java Islands during his travels there sometime before the start of the second world war. It is thought to be a natural hybrid as there have been no others like it found. It is a unique Vanda orchid different to other lombakensis.
Sir Stephen named the orchid, Vanda lombakensis Virginia Courtauld. It was taken by Sir Stephen back to England where it was kept in a glass house at Eltham Palace. It flowered once, then during the second world war the glass house it was in, was bombed. A small piece of the plant was recovered and re potted. It was then brought to Southern Rhodisia when Sir Stephen and Lady Virginia moved to La Rochelle near Umtali present day Mutare. I has only flowered on two occasions before whilst it has been at La Rochelle, with the last being in 1973. The present flowering will be the third time in October 2016."
Please can anyone shed some more light for us regarding the EXACT NAME of this beauty? Much appreciated and thanks in advance. Lin

[Sheryl]

What a beautiful vanda and fabulous history. I'm sure someone will chime in to help with the name. It does look a lot like the vanda perplexa that Zain posted awhile back. I've been searching for a supplier ever since. It's tantalizing!

[78Terp]

Agree! Fabulous! And pretty!

[Lin Goncalves]

Am busy on our next newsletter and would like to have an accurate name if at all possible before posting! Thanks for lovely comments!

---------- Post Merged at 01:05 PM ----------

Just looking on-line at Vanda perplexa now - oh YES!!!!!!

[Chris in Hamilton]

Or possibly insignus?

[Lin Goncalves]

Gosh......so similar! They seem to think it's a 'natural' hybrid up at the collection, based on information passed down through the decades...I will send the pics of both insignus and perplexa through to the nurserymen up there (about 280kms from me)...

[ksriramkumar]

Lip does not look like perplexa to me. Whatever it is, it is nicely grown and bloomed.

[JDT]

Beautiful

[zainal abidin]

Wow so beautiful Lin and the history of the plant from Java to European country and finally landing in South Africa is so cool. This is basically vanda species from Indonesia what do we call it for time being as spotted Vanda floresensis very beautiful indeed. I hope you will get some of the idea below is few variations of vanda flores.
http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...oresensis.html
http://www.rv-orchidworks.com/orchid...da-flores.html

---------- Post Merged at 09:47 AM ----------

Maybe for the future the botanist will come out new name as so many new vandas appeared from Indonesia lately.

[Azizan]

WOW! I never knew an orchid could live that long!