Rhynchostylis coelestis

Rhynchostylis coelestis is a species of orchid native to Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.[1] The specific epithet coelestis, derived from the Latin caelum meaning the sky, heavenly, refers to the blue floral colouration.[2]

Rhynchostylis coelestis
Flower of Rhynchostylis coelestis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Genus: Rhynchostylis
Species:
R. coelestis
Binomial name
Rhynchostylis coelestis
Synonyms

Description

These epiphytic herbs produce distichously arranged, hard, deeply channeled, arched leaves up to 17 cm long and 2 cm wide. The branched stems may reach up to 10–25 cm in height. Between 20 and 50, fragrant, white, pink or blue flowers, which are 2.2 cm wide, are produced on densely flowered, erect racemes. The spur is flat, but the distal half is curved forward. [2] The chromosome count of Rhynchostylis coelestis is 2n=38.[3]

Taxonomy

Motes disputed this species position within the genus Rhynchostylis and places it within Vanda. This is however not currently accepted. He argues this species position is largely based on the morphology of the long, finely pointed anther cap. According to him the other aspects of morphology place it within Vanda, specifically the deeply channeled leaves with a praemorse apex, the erect racemes, the long column foot akin to section Flabellata Vanda species and the occurrence of side lobes of the labellum, which are not present in other Rhynchostylis species. In addition he differentiates the shape of the spur, which is not borad and conical in Rhynchostylis coelestis. The higher degree of successful hybridisation with Vanda species is also noted as an argument for this species displacement from Rhynchostylis.[2]

Pollination

Pollination occurs during daytime through bees.[4]

References
  1. "Rhynchostylis coelestis (Rchb.f.) A.H.Kent | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". powo.science.kew.org. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  2. Motes, M. R. (2021). The Natural Genus Vanda. Redland Press.
  3. WOOD, I., SAMEJIMA, F. D. L. A., & Juri RAPSILBER, W. C. Regulation mapping of the mitotic chromosome structure with using multi classifier combinational proteomics.
  4. Raguso, R. A., & Pichersky, E. (1999). New Perspectives in Pollination Biology: Floral Fragrances. A day in the life of a linalool molecule: Chemical communication in a plant‐pollinator system. Part 1: Linalool biosynthesis in flowering plants. Plant Species Biology, 14(2), 95-120.


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