Vandopsis Pfitzer,
in Engl. & Prantl, Naturl. Pflanzenfam. 2, 6 (1889) 211
Large monopodial lithophytic plants. Stem elongated. Leaves many, arranged in two rows, sheathing at the base, glabrous, deciduous, duplicate, leathery. Inflorescence lateral, a several- to many-flowered raceme. Flowers large, resupinate, pale yellow with reddish spots. Sepals free. Petals free, fairly similar to the sepals. Lip without spur, not mobile, at the concave base with a transverse lamella. Column-foot absent. Pollinia 4, in two bodies, solid, caudicles absent, stipe present, viscidium present.
Distribution
Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines. Two species; in New Guinea one, non-endemic species [Vandopsis lissochiloides (Gaudich.) Pfitzer].
Habitat
Mainly on rocks in the lowlands.
Notes
Very robust plants, forming large tangled masses on rocks. In western New Guinea especially near the coast, although elsewhere, as in Laos, also growing far from the sea. Vandopsis is related to Arachnis and Hygrochilus, differing from both in the immobile lip. Because of its dimensions Vandopsis lissochiloides, showy as it may be, is not very common in cultivation.