Botanical name: Vanda tessellata    Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Synonyms: Epidendrum tessellatum, Vanda roxburghii, Cymbidium tessellatum

Checkered Vanda is a medium to large sized, warm growing epiphytic orchid, with a climbing stem. Leaves are linear, narrow, 3-toothed at the tip. The plant blooms on a sub-erect, 15-50 cm long inflorescence carrying 5 to 12, fragrant, long-lived flowers. Flowers are 4-5 cm across. The sepals and petals have undulating margins and are pale green, yellowish green or somewhat bluish with checkered lines of olive-brown on the inner surface. The outer surface is white, while the lip is violet-purple with a white margin, and usually deeper purple towards the tip. It is used in the Malayasian Penninsula as a cure-all by drinking the juice from the compressed plant. Checkered Vanda is found in the Chinese Himalayas, Assam India, Bangladesh, Himalayas, India, Sri Lanka and Myanamar at elevations of 1500 m.

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The flower labeled Checkered Vanda is ...