Biology of Vanda Miss Joaquim

by Hew Choy Sin, Yam Tim Wing, Joseph Arditti

This is the ultimate book on Singapore's National Flower. Created as a hybrid in Singapore, by the woman horticulturalist whose name it bears (Agnes Joaquim [Askhen Hovakimian]), it was first formally described in 1893 by Ridley, of Singapore's Botanic Gardens. Fifty years later it was one of the most famous orchids in the world, grown from Hawaii to Barbados. Its popularity faltered in the 1950s, but in the 1980s it was selected as a symbol of Singapore. Its role in Singapore's national and horticultural life seems unlikely to diminish.

This book is a repository of the relevant scientific, horticultural and historical knowledge on Singapore's national flower. From its complex biology, to its cultivation, from its history to its genetic makeup, this book is a suitable tribute to this remarkable plant.

Singapore University Press