Hi. After several days of scouring the libraries and reading the original descriptions of all likely candidates, I've come to the conclusion that the Vanda species I saw in Sulawesi recently, and discussed on this digest, is Vanda arcuata J.J.Smith.
Smith described V. arcuata in 1907 from a Jellesma collection, and it appears to have been "missing" ever since, so I'm delighted to have had a hand in re-discovering. The plants I saw vary from the Type description in several ways: the flowers are larger, the petals wider and more rounded, the lip narrower, and the colours different (the Type plant had rows of yellow-brown spots on the lip), but these are minor differences, and none of these is a reason to doubt that they are the same species. There are not even enough significant differences to merit describing my finding as a new variety. I am still not going to divulge any information about the locality, but I have now acquired some fresh seed and am making arrangements to distribute it to people who can put it to good use. With a bit of luck, you'll all be able to add V. arcuata to your collection in 4-5 years time. Peter O'Byrne Singapore _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
