3nd Issue Vol.1, No.

3 ISSN December 2008

Vanda luzonica: a rare treasure

from the Mt. Pinatubo area
by Norberto R. Bautista

A typical Vanda luzonica flower in one of the Garden Show of the Philippine Orchid Society

Some tips on its culture, propagation and conservation

Vanda luzonica is one of the unique and distinctive orchid species from the Philippines
and is worth saving, since its natural habitat – the Pinatubo volcano area, was devastated during
the volcano’s last eruption. Luckily, local residents in the area has acquired samples of the plants
and is now being propagated in gardens and in the laboratory.

The genus name Vanda which came from a Sanskrit word was adopted by William Jones
for epiphytes and later retained by Robert Brown in establishing the genus in 1820. The specific
name “luzonica” refers to Luzon island, where this orchid occurs. Augustus Loher first
described this plant in 1915 in Orch. Rev., but rather briefly. Robert Rolfe gave a better
description in The Orchid Review the same year. Professor Ames described the plant as a
distinct species in 1920 in Orchidaceaus.

The plant is very similar to the Vanda tricolor. In fact, it was for some time considered as
a variety of V. tricolor. However, Professor Ames, described it as a distinct species. Vanda
luzonica differs from Vanda tricolor through its markings and lack of fragrance. Like V. tricolor it
is one of the largest orchid species of the Vanda genus. It is a hardy plant, and can withstand
long periods of dryness because it is accustomed to the dry season of central Luzon from

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November through April. It is found growing on trees in forests of Bulacan, Rizal, and Zambales
(Mount Pinatubo area) at altitude of 500 meters.

Vanda luzonica is an epiphytic, upright, monopodial, large plant, with twisted or bent
stem, about a meter long. Old plants become semi-pendulous. The plant can grow very tall,
reaching heights of over 1.5 meters; specimens this size can have many side growths. The
leaves are 2-ranked, leathery, dark green, sometimes twisted. Inflorescences are racemose,
axillary, and loosely flowered. The flowers are waxy, white with magenta blotches, and with a
diffuse rose border. The sepals and petals are white with purple spots and markings near the
tips.

How to Grow this Plant.

Light. The plant will prefer a slightly brighter location to full sun. The plant will prefer
exposure to morning sun and could tolerate direct sun, but must be protected from it during very
hot months. Sunlight can be filtered using 2-3 layers of net 8 feet above the plants during the
summer period.

Watering. This plant prefers and tolerates a little bit drier condition. Water the plant once
a day or even less, like once every other day, and keep the surroundings and companion plants
moist to provide high humidity.

Ventilation. Unlike other vandaceous orchids, the plant prefers a windy area, and can
tolerate a little bit of dryness. Thus, provide ventilation by placing the plant in a location which is
windy, or provide artificial air movement.

Potting Media & Potting Technique. This plant is best potted on plastic or hardwood
baskets (hanging), tree fern slabs, or in drift woods, with their root well exposed. They can also
be grown in coarse brick and charcoal mix-tures in pots on benches, or hanging, in which case
they can also be grown in hardwood baskets with little or no pot-ting mixture required. The roots
are thick and will grow out of the pot or other container; hanging plants often develop a mass of
pendent aerial roots. Such plants do well, but must be kept moist. This can mean spraying the
plants several times daily, since without pot-ting material to retain moisture, the plants will dry out
rather quickly. They will not tolerate wet roots, but do well when hung over wet rather than dry
ground.

Fertilization. Use foliar fertilizer, and spray recommended dose once every week usually
after watering, or more often as long as the dosage is reduced. Organic fertilizer like well-
decomposed chicken manure can also be used by applying them on the potting mixture.

Propagation. This plant can be propagated by top cutting. Sterilize all cutting
instruments by washing with soap and water and squabbling with isopropyl alcohol before using
to prevent transfer of viruses. Top-cuts are repotted on plastic or wooden baskets or clay pots
with charcoal. Seal wounds with fungicide paste and do not water top cuttings for 3 days to
prevent rotting. Water afterwards to induce establishment of roots. New shoots will usually sprout
from the severed stem. Fertilized with foliar fertilizer to make plants healthy.

It can also be propagated by seeds. Pollinate plants in order to produce fruit capsules
which will usually be ready for harvest at about 5 months after pollination. Seeds from fruit
capsules can be sown inside the laboratory, in sterile artificial nutrient media, using embryo
culture techniques. Selected forms can also be micropropagated using meristem culture.

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Propagating Orchids by the Thousands
Did you ever had a beautiful orchid plant, say a Cattleya, with large colorful blooms that
you wish you could propagate a hundred or thousands of them? With today’s technology, it is
now possible. This is called Orchid Embryo Culture Technology or simply SEED CULTURE.

Fortunately, orchid plants produce thousands of seeds! Orchid seeds are very minute
and dust-like, and is easily carried by the wind. Thus, most beginner in orchids seldom see
orchid seeds and are sometimes shocked that orchids can be propagated by seeds. However,
growing these unique plants from seeds is no joke, since they need certain requirements to
germinate.

Orchids self propagate in their native habitats – in the forest – through seeds. Orchid
plants usually produce 20,000 to 500,000 seeds per plant. How come that so much seeds? This
is because out of these numerous seeds, only less that 1% actually germinates and survives in
nature up till its flowering stage, thus, the plant produces a lot of seeds so that a sizable
population survives every season. The plant has adapted to survive by producing very minute,
light-weight and dust-like seeds. Because of its very minute size, the seeds does not have a
cotyledon or food reserve, like vegetables seeds. The seed is just composed of a embryo or
young plant enclosed in a seed coat similar to crumpled wire mesh. It germinates by making a
symbiotic relationship with a fungus, popularly called a mycorrhizae. The fungus infects the seed
and eats away the seed coat, converts into simple sugar for the seed to absorb and germinate.
In return, the seed provides the fungus food. These symbiotic relationship help the orchid survive
in nature. With this, in thousands to millions of orchids can be mass-produced in the laboratory by
providing the seed an artificial environment for them to grow and multiply.

Rizal Technological University, through the Plant

Biotech Project, has a plant tissue culture laboratory
and a pool of researchers wherein one of its
expertise is the Conservation of Philippine Native
Orchids. With this, the Plant Biotech Lab offers short
course training on Orchid Growing, Embryo Culture
and also Plant Tissue Culture. It is currently assisting
the Orchid Industry, through collaboration with the
Philippine Orchid Society and the University of the
Philippines at Los Banos in disseminating information
on orchid cultivation, conservation and propagation.

The Urban Gardener is an official electronic

publication (in PDF Format) of the Plant
Biotechnology Project, Research & Development
Center, Rizal Technological University, Boni Avenue,
Mandaluyong City, Philippines. It is published
monthly. For more information, please inquire thru
email: rdc_rtu@yahoo.com or
plantbiotech_rtu@yahoo.com and landline
(+632) 534-8267 Local 135 or Fax (+632) 534-
9710.

The Plant Biotechnology Project Committee is

composed of: Alexander B. Quilang, Norberto
R. Bautista, Jovita A. Anit & Carnette C. Pulma.