Rhynchostylis (abbreviated Rhy in the horticultural trade) is a genus in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), closely allied to the genus Vanda (from which it differs in the one-lobed lip of the flower) and comprising four currently accepted species native to the Indian subcontinent, China, Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant FamiliesFlora of China v 25 p 474, 钻喙兰属 zuan hui lan shu, Rhynchostylis Blume
Etymology The name consists of a compound of two Greek elements : rhynchos 'beak' and stylis 'column' – in reference to the very broad, fleshy column of the flower.
Description The flowers are borne in dense racemes and are noted for their intense, spicy fragrance. Although lacking in pseudobulbs, the plants have leathery leaves that are drought-resistant. These orchids grow naturally in warm, moist, shaded tropical areas and will thrive in cultivation if given consistent warmth, uniform moisture and bright, but indirect light. Hobbyists wanting to grow them will need a warm, humid growing environment with gentle air movement. They can be grown in pots, but are better grown in baskets, owing to the extreme fleshiness of their roots. Their unusually fragrant blooms often appear in the slightly cooler winter months.The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids ed. Pridgeon, Alec, pub. Lansdowne Publishing Pty Ltd. Australia 1992 and David and Charles UK 2003.
Cultivation Despite being in the Vanda tribe, they are very different from vandas. They grow more slowly, their roots are more fragile, and almost any direct sun will harm them. However, they are typically grown with no potting mix on slat baskets or mounted in the same way as vandas.
Uses The genus possesses valuable medicinal properties meriting in-depth pharmacological investigation, including antispasmodic and antiseptic activity.Orchid Biology: Reviews and Perspectives, III ed. Arditti, Joseph, pub. Comstock Publishing Associates - a division of Cornell University Press 1984 (v.1) : Chapter 2 : Ethnobotany of the Orchidaceae by Lawler, Leonard J. page 101 Several species have been found to contain alkaloids.Genera Orchidacearum: Epidendroideae edited by Alec M. Pridgeon, Phillip J. Cribb, Finn N. Rasmussen, Mark W. Chase
Taxonomy Placement in subtribe Aeridinae The Subtribe was changed from Sarcanthinae (Benth, 1881) to Aeridinae (Pfitzer, 1887) in 1972.Vandeae
Species As of December 2023, four species are recognized: Rhynchostylis gigantea (Lindl.) Ridl. – widespread in Hainan, Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Borneo, Philippines Rhynchostylis gigantea subsp. gigantea – all of species range except Philippines Rhynchostylis gigantea subsp. violacea (Lindl.) Christenson – Philippines Rhynchostylis retusa (L.) Blume – Yunnan, Guizhou, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Bangladesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Indochina, Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Philippines Rhynchostylis rieferi (Higgins) – Philippines Rhynchostylis cymifera Yohannan, J.Mathew & Szlach.Jordan J. Biol. Sci. 11(3): 257, figs. 1-2 (2018). - South Western Ghats, India
Formerly included Rhynchostylis coelestis (Rchb.f.) A.H. Kent is now a synonym of Vanda coelestis (Rchb.f.) Motes.
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