Vanda Miss Joaquim
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Vanda Miss Joaquim (Simplified Chinese: 卓锦万黛兰; pinyin: zhuójǐn wàndàilán), a hybrid orchid cultivar, is Singapore's national flower.
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[edit] History
Vanda Miss Joaquim is a natural hybrid between Vanda teres and Vanda hookeriana and was first discovered in the garden of Agnes Joaquim in 1893. It was described in the same year by Henry N. Ridley, director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens at the time.
[edit] Significance
On April 15, 1981, the Minister of Culture, S. Dhanabalan, announced that as part of an overall effort to foster national pride and identity Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen from amongst 40 other flowers (including some 30 orchids) as Singapore's national flower. The ability of Vanda Miss Joaquim's to bloom throughout the year was considered to reflect Singapore's continuous quest for progress and excellence in all aspects of life, and its natural resilience which is reflected the determination of the Singaporean people to stand fast through difficult times.
[edit] See also
- Vanda for more information about Vanda orchids
[edit] Bibliography
- Biology of Vanda Miss Joaquim by Choy Sin Hew (PhD., retired Professor of Botany, National University of Singapore), Tim Wing Yam (PhD., Singapore Botanic Gardens) and Joseph Arditti (PhD., Professor Emeritus, University of California, Irvine).
