Vanda ex-spurt needed

[voyager]

This is a feral Vanda growing on a dead Ohia tree in my yard.
I first saw it bloom in Feb. of 2015 and took some photos about 4 days apart.



Then, I photographed it again in Feb. of 2016.


I skipped photographing it in 2017, when I believe it bloomed in the autumn, like Aug. or Sept.
It did not bloom in 2018 during the volcanic eruption.

Then, I have photographed it again when it has bloomed in Jun. of 2019.


I believe when the 2016 pics were posted someone noted that it looked a lot like it might be a Vanda luzonica.
I agree except for the yellow coloring to the edges of their lip.
That almost assuredly indicates to me that it is probably a V. luzonica crossed with something else, at best a primary hybrid.

Question #1:
Does anyone recognize this Vanda?

Question #2:
As you can see in the 2015 and 2016 photos, the blossoms are more heavily spotted while in the 2019 photo the tepals have more solidly colored tips.

The only explanations I can come up with are possibly an effect of the eruption gasses, or the plant becoming more mature.
Any other thoughts on what might cause this to happen?

EDIT:
In 2016 I crawled up a ladder, somewhat precariously, and smelled it .
It was fragrant, I think.
If I can manage it I'll go up again tomorrow and confirm that.

[Paphluvr]

Careful on that ladder!

[rastafouni]

Not a pure luzonica, most likely a Vanda Boschii (Vanda luzonica x Vanda tricolor) but can be another very close hybrid too.
Color variations in blooms in the same plant are far from be very uncommon from blooms to blooms. Vanda tessellata is a good example. I don't know why. I think high light intensity and/or temperatures could be an answer. This is what I notice for some species.
Just toughs, nothing demonstrated in my claim... Hope it will help.

[rastafouni]

Can we see the lip details ? Especially from above.

[voyager]

@Paphluvr
Yeah, I do not want to end up in a hospital or be the focus of a funeral just to catch the smell of an orchid.
When I went up to get a smell before, I seem to remember tying the ladder off to the tree, then standing on the top rung of the ladder while hugging the trunk of the tree.
Not going to do that this time.
I was a young spry 73 year old then.
Now, I'm a decrepit fossilized 76 year old.

I've been looking at it and might try backing my truck up to the tree and setting the ladder up on it.
I've done that before to mount some of my orchids.
The only other option is to buy a longer ladder that I would only use for mounting orchids.
Not going to do that.

@rastafouni
I'm considering removing one blossom, then dissecting and photographing it.
That would also be a solution to the verifying its fragrance.
I have done this before.
On the old Papua New Guinea orchidspng.com forum, I had a positive ID made from such photos.
I cannot remember his name, but he was a professor emeritus from one of the California universities.
[EDIT: Joseph Arditti UCI]
What mostly sticks in my mind is that he and Peter O'Byrne were constantly at each other's throats arguing over every little and great difference of opinion.
Anyway, he made a positive ID for this little white flowered Dendrobium with canes only 3 to 4" long.
I was amazed when he pronounced it as being a Den. nobile.
I've recently seen those pics somewhere in me digging around through my photo folders. If I run across them again, I'll post them in their own thread.

Anyway, I'm busy beating the contractor over the head to finish the roof job, and getting a new video security system installed.

Due to the eruption a number of homes have been abandoned around her by people that have been scared off.
We've been inundated by squatters taking over some of those houses, everything from crack houses to simply the homeless.
Someone came into our yard went into the back, cut down one of my banana plants with a machete and stole the bananas off of it.

Granted, it is only a bunch of bananas.
The violation of the sanctity of my home by someone with a machete in hand, has me cleaning firearms and putting a new upgraded security system in.
As soon as I get some time I'll get a smell and some pics, then be back.

[voyager]

Here is something to consider:

What looks to be Vanda Trimerrill is a weed orchid around here.
They grow everywhere.
I have them all over my yard and they also look to be throughout the area.

That made me go look at V. merrillii.
The yellow on the lip may originate from V. merillii, maybe even by way of V. Trimerill.
That would bring V. tricolor into the picture also.

[rastafouni]

Originally Posted by voyager

@rastafouni
On the old Papua New Guinea orchidspng.com forum, I had a positive ID made from such photos.
What mostly sticks in my mind is that he and Peter O'Byrne were constantly at each other's throats arguing over every little and great difference of opinion.

Indeed, this forum was without a doubt the best ever !
The constant argue, change of species' names or genus and different of opinions between taxonomists are not really rare. It proves that taxonomy and botanic are not sciences strictly exact.

I still think that there is a good chance that it is Vanda boschii. Photos of the lip from above will definitely help but from what can be seen, it seems that there is an input of Vanda tricolor var. suavis. Congrats for your Trimerrill it is a splendid plant !

Concerning your house, I can tell you that kind of situation won't last long in Thailand : at the best police, the worst will be machette yes .

Good luck !

[voyager]

Got the truck backed up to the tree.

But, I'm very leery about going up the ladder.
As I was backing up I bumped the smaller tree next to the one with the Vanda.
It promptly fell over.

Those trees have been dead for over 4 years in a humid sub tropical climate.
The root system is rotting out.
I will need to move this Vanda to another location soon, as well as the V.Trimerrill lower down on the tree.
Going to have to work out a solution to this problem.
Due to its unusual existence, I consider it to be a gift from heaven, not a weed orchid like the Trimerrills.

Another digression:
I'm beginning to understand why there are so many V. Trimerrills and other orchids around here.
The land our subdivision is located on was part of the Shipman Estate.
The Shipmans are descended from some of the original missionaries sent to Hawaii.
A Shipman is listed as the originator of the V. Trimerrill hybrid.

From a Wikipedia article related to the Hawaii Island Shipmans:
... "The shipman family also kept many exotic plants at the ranch, including some of the first orchids raised on the island. Herbert (president of the Hawaii Orchid Society) was awarded a gold medal in 1957 by the American Orchid Society for contributions to the industry." ...

Going to have to build a better attitude towards the Trimerrills.

[voyager]

OK, I got the ladder tied off so that it was reasonably safe to go up it.
That dead trunk was very wobbly.
I removed both Vandas.
I'm not going to do the dissection, but here are photos.









My old eyes aren't what they used to be.
The flowers are not as big as I had judged them to be.
The color is not as red as I had thought it to be.
The color shown here is fairly close.
Appropriately, kind of an orchid color.

It is a somewhat cool day, but it has a very mild fragrance.
I can catch it on the first smell, but often not detectable on the second try.

I have found the tree where I'm going to mount it.
Way back in the backyard, we have a yellow flowered ohia tree.
Yellow flowered ohias are very rare on this side of the island, but very common on the Kona side.
I can put it on a branch about 10-12' off the ground, easily accessible by a step ladder.
It will be in dappled light, a little more shaded than bright.
There is plenty of trunk for the roots to go up and down.
I can see no other orchid in that tree right now.
I think it will have that tree all to itself.

Any thoughts as to who Vanda luzonica snuck off behind the wood shed with?

Working from IOSPE photos only, My guess is still V. merrillii.
But then, I'm a blind man trying to guess what an elephant it.

EDIT:
Just for giggles, and as long as it is now easily accessible, I'm thinking of trying to cross pollinate between a couple of the the flowers, maybe even trying a cross with Trimerrill too, just to see if anything happens.

Think keiki paste applied to some of the undeveloped nodes might produce offsets?
I would really like to propagate this one.

[Bud]

You have beautiful flowers, you are lucky to be able to grow your Vandas outdoors and on trees.
I was reluctant on answering your posting because you were looking for experts and I am but beginning in my orchid growing …. I was always barraged and harassed in other orchid forums for giving my two cents worth....Here is my Vanda Luzonica first posted in 2011....and I make it a point to post every time my orchids bloom....but this Vanda orchid plant due to its size is always forgotten to be photo'd up the fire escape or indoors near the window....

Vanda luzonica (on its 3rd bloom)