Rhynchostylis retusa

Rhynchostylis retusa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Genus:	Rhynchostylis
Species:	R. retusa
Binomial name
Rhynchostylis retusa (L.) Blume[1]
Synonyms
List Epidendrum retusum L. (basionym) Aerides guttata (Lindl.) Roxb. Aerides praemorsa Willd. Aerides retusa (L.) Sw. Aerides spicata D.Don Aerides undulata Sm. Anota violacea (Rchb.f.) Schltr. Epidendrum hippium Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don Epidendrum indicum Poir. Gastrochilus blumei (Lindl.) Kuntze Gastrochilus garwalicus (Lindl.) Kuntze Gastrochilus praemorsus (Willd.) Kuntze Gastrochilus retusus (L.) Kuntze Gastrochilus rheedei (Wight) Kuntze Gastrochilus spicatus (D.Don) Kuntze Gastrochilus violaceus (Rchb.f.) Kuntze Limodorum retusum (L.) Sw. Orchis lanigera Blanco Rhynchostylis albiflora I.Barua & Bora Rhynchostylis garwalica (Lindl.) Rchb.f. Rhynchostylis guttata (Lindl.) Rchb.f. Rhynchostylis praemorsa (Willd.) Blume Rhynchostylis retusa f. albiflora (I.Barua & Bora) Christenson Rhynchostylis violacea Rchb.f. Saccolabium blumei Lindl. Saccolabium garwalicum Lindl. Saccolabium guttatum (Lindl.) Lindl. ex Wall. Saccolabium heathii auct. Saccolabium macrostachyum Lindl. Saccolabium praemorsum (Willd.) Lindl. Saccolabium retusum (L.) Voigt Saccolabium rheedei Wight Saccolabium spicatum (D.Don) Lindl. Saccolabium violaceum Rchb.f. Sarcanthus guttatus Lindl.[2]

Rhynchostylis retusa (also called foxtail orchid) is an orchid, belonging to the Vanda alliance. The inflorescence is a pendant raceme, consisting of more than 100 pink-spotted white flowers. The plant has a short, stout, creeping stem carrying up to 12, curved, fleshy, deeply channeled, keeled, retuse apically leaves and blooms on an axillary pendant to 60 cm (24 in) long, racemose, densely flowered, cylindrical inflorescence that occurs in the winter and early spring. It is famous for its use as a hair-ornament worn by Assamese women during folk dance Bihu on the onset of spring.^[2]