Page 661 - e-Book
P. 661

said by S.K.Barik (2018). And also, it is endangered species in Karnataka (Satheeshkumar et

               al., 2004).
               Vanda wightii.Rchb.f. :

               Vanda wightii Rchb.f., Ann. Bot. Syst. 6:932. 1864; hooker f., Brit. India 6:5. 1890; Fisher in
               Gamble, Fl. Pres. Madras :1445. 1928; Henry et al., J. Bombay nat. Hist. soc. 75:697. 1978

               (1979); Ahmedullah & Nayar, Endemis Pl. Ind. Reg. 253.1986; Joseph, Orch. Niligiris 177.
               1987; Mohanan & Balakrishnan in Karunakaran, C.K. (Ed.), Proc. Symp. Rare, Endang. End.

               Pl. West. Ghats 189. 1991; Satish Kumar in Nair et al. (Eds), Eco-Develop. West. Ghats 51.

               1986 & in Karunakaran, C. K. (Ed.), Proc. Symposium on Rare, Endang.End. Pl. west. Ghats
               213. 1997; Nayar & Sastry (Eds), Red Data Book Ind. Pl. 2: 280. 1987.

               Epiphytes.  Stem  15-22cm  long,  profusely  rooting  at  the  base  and  leaves  closely  arranged

               above. Leaves are joined at base, deeply channelled in the middle, V-shaped in cross section,
               keeled, thick, fleshy and coriaceous, unequally bilobed at the apex. Inflorescence is simple

               and  axillary  raceme,  long  with  thick  peduncle;  sterile  bracts  12,  tubular,  covering  the
               inflorescence axis; pedicle and ovary long; floral bracts, triangular ovate, gland dotted, acute

               at  the  apex.  Flowers  2-3,  pleasantly  fragrant,  reminding  strongly  the  smell  of  vanda
               tessellate/Cestrum nocturnum, dirty brownish green with light yellow on sepals, petals and

               lateral sepals, white at base and backside; dorsal sepal  ovate-oblong, clawed and obtuse at

               base,  slightly  wavy  on  margins,  7-veined,  side  veins  branched,  all  veins  connected  by
               intraveinal bridges; elliptic, obovate, obtuse at apex, 7-veined, margin at the basal portion

               backwardly folded; petals, obovate-oblong, 5 veined, clawed at the base ,obtusely acute at
               apex;  lip  white  throughout,  with  a  flash  of  yellow  at  inner  backwall  of  sac  between  the

               sidelobes; long with long saccate spur, immovably attached to the base of a short column
               foot; side lobes, oblong, midlobe thick fleshy with 2 keels, medianly deep channelled; spur

               wide  mouthed,  laterally  compressed,  obtuse  at  the  apex,  backwall  with  W  shaped  orange

               making,  tip  with  small  papillae;  column  white,  broadened  at  apex;  anther  terminal.
               Operculum, 2 celled at base with one flap covering each cell, connected to column by a short

               neck  at  base;  pollinarium  with  2  obovid  pollinia,  each  pollinium,  cleft  attached  by  a  thin

               transparent and elastic caudicle to transparent stipe; stipe thin and roughly triangular, folded
               at the base to the broad and roughly ovate viscidium. Fruit usually 4-5cm, light green, with

               thick ridges and furrows.
               Threats to Vanda wightii Rchb.f.:

               Destruction of hosts and habitats happened by road widening and railway lines in forest area.
               Usually, some small regions or area covered with threatened species can causes threat, as this




                                                           651
   656   657   658   659   660   661   662   663   664   665   666