Vanda tricolor

Very nice!

 

I would call this Vanda suavis as I believe that it is a distinct species, rather than a variety of V. tricolor.

The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families lumps Vanda suavis together with Vanda tricolor.

V. tricolor has flat flowers that are wider than high. Its pale yellow sepals and petals are variably marked with brown blotches and spots. The lip mid-lobe is white to pale pink. The apex of the lip mid-lobe is as broad as its base. V. tricolor is found in West Java.

V. suavis produces flowers with reflexed segments so that they are generally taller than wide. The white sepals and petals have discrete red-purple spots and stripes. Its lip mid-lobe is usually reflexed-recurved and is dark mulberry purple at the sides or base, with the apex rose to purple. The apex of the lip mid-lobe is much narrower than the base. V. suavis is distributed in East Java.

My observation is that the flower form and colour pattern of these two species is distinct. I have never seen V. suavis with the colour pattern of V. tricolor, and vice versa.

V. suavis is the species in the background of spotted Vanda hybrids and not V. tricolor.

Cheers.

Gary