愛華網(wǎng)新加坡國花--卓錦萬代蘭
胡姬花是一種十分珍貴的蘭花品種，在東南亞都稱之為胡姬花。新加坡人把一種名叫“卓錦·萬代蘭”的胡姬花作為國花，有卓越錦繡、萬代不朽之意，它有很強(qiáng)的生命力，能夠世世代代永遠(yuǎn)相傳下去之意?！白垮\·萬代蘭”是由一位僑居新加坡的西班牙人，名叫愛尼絲·卓錦女士，于1890年在自己的花園里培植而成的。1893年新加坡植物園為了紀(jì)念她，把這種花命名為VandaMissJoaguim，意即卓錦女士之蘭花。
攝影/ 夏花于新加坡萬里胡姬園、國家胡姬園
卓錦·萬代蘭是由卓錦女士培植而成，萬代蘭由福建閩南話音譯Orchid(蘭花)一詞而來。1981年4月15日，新加坡文化部宣布“卓錦”萬代蘭為國花，從而在眾多的萬代蘭中，卓錦便成為“蘭中新貴”，身價(jià)十倍了。它具有下列優(yōu)美的特征：容貌清麗而端莊、超群，又流露出謙和，象征著新加坡人民的氣質(zhì)它有一個(gè)姣美的唇片和五個(gè)尊片，唇片四綻，象征新加坡四大民族和馬來語、英語、華語和泰米爾語四種語言的平等。
花朵中間的鄂柱，雌雄合體，象征幸福的根源花由下面相對的裂片拱扶著，象征著和諧，同甘苦、共榮辱花的唇片后方有一個(gè)袋形角，內(nèi)有甜蜜汁，象征財(cái)富匯流聚集的處所把戀柱上的花粉蓋揭開，里面有兩個(gè)花塊，像兩只“金眼”，象征著高瞻遠(yuǎn)矚。它的莖向上攀援，象征向上發(fā)達(dá)、興旺。它的花一朵謝落，一朵又開，象征新加坡國家民族的命脈，源遠(yuǎn)流長，具有無窮的信心和希望。新加坡人喜愛蘭花，更偏愛卓錦·萬代蘭，還因?yàn)樵谧類毫拥臈l件下，也能爭芳吐艷，象征著民族的刻苦耐勞，勇敢奮斗精神。
Vanda Miss Joaquim
Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen as Singapore's national flower in1981. The designation of a national flower was part of an overalleffort to foster national pride and identity.
Singapore has the unique distinction of being the only nation tohave a hybrid as its national flower.
The choice of an orchid as Singapore's nationalflower is most appropriate because orchids have long beenidentified with Singapore.
And no orchid is more worthy of being Singapore's national flowerthan Vanda Miss Joaquim as it is the first registered plant hybridfrom Singapore.
History
This orchid, a hybrid between Vanda hookeriana and Vanda teresis hardy and free flowering. It was described by the first directorof the Singapore Botanic Gardens Mr H.N. Ridley in 1893, who namedit after Agnes Joaquim. Ridley wrote that the plant was the resultsof a cross made by Miss Joaquim.
Features Of Vanda Miss Joaquim
A strong inflorescence of Vanda Miss Joaquim may carry up to 12buds, usually with four flowers open at a time. Each flower isabout 5 cm across and 6 cm tall, and as is the case with itsparents, the petals are twisted around so that the back surfacefaces front. The two petals and the top sepal are rosy-violet, andthe lateral sepals are a pale mauve. The lip is very large andbroad and the middle lobe extends out loke a fan. It is colouredviolet- rose, merging into a contrasting fiery orange at thecentre. Over the orange patch, the lip is finely spotted with darkpurple. 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 andflowering. It needs support to grow straight and tall but itflowers only when the top of its stem rises above the support. Itis a robust, sun loving plant with slender stems best grown in bedsagainst post supports.
