Waling-Waling
Media
Part of Panorama
- Title
- Waling-Waling
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1968
- Rights
-
- Abstract
- Excerpts from the book, Philippine Orchids, by Regis S. Davis and Mona Lisa Steiner.
- Fulltext
- against anyone who pre sumably might have preven ted the. loss. To facilitate grief’s work let there be tears. Tears, as one psychiatrist has pointed out, is a mechanism for re ducing the tension caused by grief. Tears are not a distor tion of nature nor evidence of weakness. They are a means by which the griev ing persons works his way up from the depths. Then let there be talk. Repeat over and over again all the details surrounding the grief-producing tragedy. This makes the loss more realistic and the expectation that the loved one will re turn is dissipated. When tears and talk flow freely, grief’s work is being done and in time the bereaved person comes to realize what Jesus meant when he said, “Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.”—Chedbourne A. Spring In recent years the “Waling-Waling” has played a prominent role in orchid hybridization work. Orchid hybridizers in Florida, Hawaii, Singapore, Bangkok and other orchid centers of the world have crossed this versatile vanda with other orchid species and genera to produce prolific blooming hybrids. These hybrids exhibit a wide range of shapes and colors in their flowers. Some outstanding examples are the golden-flowered Vanda Tan Chay Van, the pinkflowered Vanda Nellie Morley, the blue-flowered Vanda rothschildiana, and the red-flowered Vanda Jane Shimamoto. In the esoteric world of orchid col lectors, these handsome hybrids command near estronomical prices. 32 Panorama WALING-WALING Vanda Sanderiana (Waling-Waling), the most promi nent native orchid, was first detected by Roebelin of the orchid establishment, Sanders and Company, in 1882, while he was collecting throughout the southeast portions of Mindanao Island. It is ende mic to a restricted area of this island and can be found in no other place throughout the world. The plant was ■originally described by Rei chenbach in 1882 and is de dicated to the orchid compa ny responsible for its disco very. This species has been de scribed by various authorities under different genera; Schlechtei* delegated it to Eunanthe while Reichenbach assigned it to Esmeralda. The flower differs from that of the typical Vanda in hav ing a small lip with no spur and without a saccate form ation. Also, because of the distinctive markings of radial hue on the sepals and petals, the species has at times been incorporated with the genus Arachnis. At present, how May 1968 ever, the plant is included in the Vanda Group for which it has an alliance because of its typical Vanda-like growth, upright flower scape and general floral arrangements. Plants of this species often grow to a height of two to four feet, but it is not uncom mon for plants to flower that are only eight to twelve in ches high with four or five sets of leaves. The unusual flower, the biggest among Philippine orchids, is flat and from three to five inches across the petals. The upper sepal and the two petals are whitish purple with dark red dish-brown spots near the base, while the lower sepals are greenish with purplish crimson netted lines and spots. The flowers which form in big clusters of twelve to sixteen during August and September open a few at a time and the raceme will last for from five to seven weeks. This species is not fragrant. — Excerpts from the book, Philippine Orchids, by Reg S. Davis and Mona Lisa Stei ner. 33