Vanda merrillii var rotorii
 

The monochromatic variety of Vanda merrillii : merrillii var rotorii. The real color is a bit darker that how it appears on the photos.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_QmhBdQKRfz8/S6...IMG_9303-2.jpg


http://lh4.ggpht.com/_QmhBdQKRfz8/S6...IMG_9300-2.jpg

Philippe, that is stunning. I am still waiting for my merrillii.

Beautiful colors on those, Philippe. How tall is this particular plant? Does it still have the intense fragrance of the standard type V. merrillii? Would you mind taking a picture of the whole thing, please?

Steve

Thanks Naomi and Steve.

Naomi, were you able to find a plant or are you still looking for ?

Steve, in fact the color is a bit darker but it is quite difficult to capture it in a good way. My plant is about 50 cm (20 inch if I'm right) but it is not easy to say because roots appear quite high on the trunk. It really looks like the standard type of merrillii including the long roots and fragance.
here some more photos,sorry qualities of those are not so good but will help to have an idea of inflorescence and how looks the plant :

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_QmhBdQKRfz8/S6...0/IMG_9312.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_QmhBdQKRfz8/S6...IMG_9356-2.jpg

Philippe, I am still looking for it, but based on the plant size ( thank you for posting it, BTW), it gets large, doesn't it? That will discourage me to get it since I just bought one big v. luzonica which ended up taking too much of my limited growing space. :rofl:

I guess I will stay with the hybrid I have ( v. Gordon Dillon x v. merrillii ) for now.

I love the color.

Thanks Ted.

Naoki, V. merrillii and V. luzonica plants are the same size.
Don't woory too much about your limited growing space as I will give you soon my adress in Bangkok so you will be able to send me many nice rare plants to give you free space :rofl:
By the way, should be a good idea to conctat Steve frist because I might be interested in many plants that he might have too :rofl::rofl:

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Naoki, V. merrilli does get pretty large. The one in the picture below is over three feet tall (91+ cm), and as you can see, it requires its own window. If your V. luzonica produces any keikis, please let me know. I have two large merrillii plants, and both of them have multiple keikis in various sizes (some, I believe, are very close to being adults on the other plant that I have--now if I could only figure out a way to encourage them to produce their own roots!), and I would be interested in trading a couple of seedlings if you'd be up for it.

Steve

Vanda merrillii on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Steve, that is a beautiful & big plant. I absolutely let you know when I see a baby on my luzonica.

I love this species. I've been looking for it, but I can't find it.

I like both the regular variety and this one. Their glossy flowers are certainly a sight to behold. Is it possible to describe the fragrance?

Oh, I know this is somewhat random, but I think it's fun to pronounce "merrillii" with an Italian accent. I do the same for V. tricolor. :biggrin:

Carl, my plants aren't in bloom right now, so Philippe might be able to give you a better idea of the fragrance. It's strongly floral and kind of spicy too (not a great description, I know, but I tried). The only drawbacks are that the flowers appear in the summer (it would, in my opinion, be better if this species flowered during the winter, when the only threat to the blooms would be from "aggressive sniffers" who come over and insist on physically assaulting the flowers with their noses), and they don't last a really long time, especially compared to many other vandas like coerulea, denisoniana, tesselata, etc. My plants' blooms usually stay in good condition for a couple of weeks--unless, that is, they get visited by grasshoppers :((.

Steve

Hi Carl,

description of Steve is correct. I am not an expert to describe fragance but it is a strong spicy fragance that occurs on day time. Typical from Deltoglossa Section of Vanda like other specie like insignis, limbata, tricolor, luzonica, helvola etc... But I'd say that on this plant it is especialy strong.
Flowers ,unfortunately, don't last so long.

I don't like that. :tapfoot:

ha ha I think nobody does but on the other hand it is a free flowering variety (I mean at least in tropical climate).

Okay Philippe. I have to ask this. I have seen the term "free flowering" many times over the years and never really found out what it means. Does it mean, various or no set blooming season such as spring, summer, fall, or winter? Or does it mean something else?

Hi Ted,

I don't konw if it is correct in botanic but in Thailand a plant who is blooming multiple times during the year and if it can be at any moment of the year is said to be free flowering.
Talking about Vanda by example, V.tessellata in tropical climate is blooming all year round almost non stop : it is said to be "free flrowering'. V. ustii who is blooming many times during the year - but not non stop- with blooms who can appear at any time of the year is said to be "free flowering" as well. V. coerulea who can have many blooms in a row as well but only during a specific season from July to December is not "free flowering". V. bensonii who can bloom at any times of the year but not many times is not said to be "free flowering" as well.
Again, I don't know if it is correct in a botanic way but it is usually the way that selller and orchids lovers call "free flowering" plants here.

Hello Phillipe,

Thanks for the explanation. I think I got it.