490 ORCHIDS. 
V. gigantea) forming a short spur or sac. The flowers are 
fragrant, and remain for a long time in beauty. V. Bate- 
manni and V. gigantea are included in the following 
selection because they are so widely known as Vandas; 
properly, however, they form a part of the genus 
Stauropsis. Fieldia is also a name by which they have 
been known. 
Culture.—Vandas may be grown in either pots, baskets, 
or cylinders: for the larger species, such as V. Batemanni, 
V. suavis, V. tricolor, &c., pots are preferable; whilst 
baskets or cylinders are best for the dwarfer kinds, most 
of which dislike having their roots confined, and enjoy a 
position near the glass. Small plants and slow-growing 
species may be grown in hanging baskets. Whatever 
vessel is used, it should be three-fourths filled with clean 
potsherds and charcoal, and the remainder with clean, fresh 
sphagnum. During the growing season, which lasts from 
March to October, abundance of moisture, both at the root 
and in the atmosphere, is indispensable; care should also be 
taken that a regular supply of fresh air is insured. When 
at rest the plants require much less water, but it is 
important that they should not be allowed to get dry at 
any time. As soon as they begin to grow again, which is 
usually about March, the old sphagnum and loose potsherds 
should be removed without disturbing the roots, and 
replaced with clean, new material. 
The geographical distribution of Vandas is so wide, 
and the conditions of temperature and atmosphere are so 
varying, that it is impossible to treat of the cultivation 
of the whole as one. V. cerulea, for instance, grows 
on the tops of trees on the Khasya Hills, where hoar- 
frosts are not infrequent. V. Cathcartii grows in similar 
situations at a lower elevation; whilst V. teres is sub- 
jected at some seasons of the year to severe drought. 
