新加坡国花--卓锦万代兰

    胡姬花是一种十分珍贵的兰花品种，在东南亚都称之为胡姬花。新加坡人把一种名叫“卓锦·万代兰”的胡姬花作为国花，有卓越锦绣、万代不朽之意，它有很强的生命力，能够世世代代永远相传下去之意。“卓锦·万代兰”是由一位侨居新加坡的西班牙人，名叫爱尼丝·卓锦女士，于1890年在自己的花园里培植而成的。1893年新加坡植物园为了纪念她，把这种花命名为Vanda MissJoaguim，意即卓锦女士之兰花。

摄影/ 夏花于新加坡万里胡姬园、国家胡姬园

    卓锦·万代兰是由卓锦女士培植而成，万代兰由福建闽南话音译Orchid(兰花)一词而来。1981年4月15日，新加坡文化部宣布“卓锦”万代兰为国花，从而在众多的万代兰中，卓锦便成为“兰中新贵”，身价十倍了。它具有下列优美的特征：容貌清丽而端庄、超群，又流露出谦和，象征着新加坡人民的气质它有一个姣美的唇片和五个尊片，唇片四绽，象征新加坡四大民族和马来语、英语、华语和泰米尔语四种语言的平等。

花朵中间的鄂柱，雌雄合体，象征幸福的根源花由下面相对的裂片拱扶着，象征着和谐，同甘苦、共荣辱花的唇片后方有一个袋形角，内有甜蜜汁，象征财富汇流聚集的处所把恋柱上的花粉盖揭开，里面有两个花块，像两只“金眼”，象征着高瞻远瞩。它的茎向上攀援，象征向上发达、兴旺。它的花一朵谢落，一朵又开，象征新加坡国家民族的命脉，源远流长，具有无穷的信心和希望。新加坡人喜爱兰花，更偏爱卓锦·万代兰，还因为在最恶劣的条件下，也能争芳吐艳，象征着民族的刻苦耐劳，勇敢奋斗精神。

Vanda Miss Joaquim

Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen as Singapore's national flower in 1981. The designation of a national flower was part of an overall effort to foster national pride and identity.
Singapore has the unique distinction of being the only nation to have a hybrid as its national flower.

The choice of an orchid as Singapore's national flower is most appropriate because orchids have long been identified with Singapore.
And no orchid is more worthy of being Singapore's national flower than Vanda Miss Joaquim as it is the first registered plant hybrid from Singapore.

History

This orchid, a hybrid between Vanda hookeriana and Vanda teres is hardy and free flowering. It was described by the first director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens Mr H.N. Ridley in 1893, who named it after Agnes Joaquim. Ridley wrote that the plant was the results of a cross made by Miss Joaquim.

Features Of Vanda Miss Joaquim

A strong inflorescence of Vanda Miss Joaquim may carry up to 12 buds, usually with four flowers open at a time. Each flower is about 5 cm across and 6 cm tall, and as is the case with its parents, the petals are twisted around so that the back surface faces front. The two petals and the top sepal are rosy-violet, and the lateral sepals are a pale mauve. The lip is very large and broad and the middle lobe extends out loke a fan. It is coloured violet- rose, merging into a contrasting fiery orange at the centre. Over the orange patch, the lip is finely spotted with dark purple. It is free-flowering.

Growing The National Flower

Vanda Miss Joaquim requires full sunlight, free air movement, high humidity and heavy fertilising to achieve optimum growth and flowering. It needs support to grow straight and tall but it flowers only when the top of its stem rises above the support. It is a robust, sun loving plant with slender stems best grown in beds against post supports.