Aerides ringens

Status: Fairly common.
Altitude: Sea level to 2300 m.
Plant habit: Epiphytic with narrow long leaves.
Inflorescence: Raceme with some secondary branching.
Flowers: 0.5 cm across and 1.5 cm in length. Colours vary from pale pink at sea level to deep magenta at higher altitudes.
Flowering: Mar to April at higher altitudes and June to July at lower altitudes.
Endemism: Southern India and Sri Lanka.
Fragrance: No.
Heat tolerance: Blooms at sea level.

Vanda thwaitesii

Vanda thwaitesii was originally reported from Sri Lanka where it is now believed to be extinct. In India, it is found in the Western Ghats in the states of Kerala and Karnataka at elevations of about 800 to 1000 msl.  It is a very compact vanda with arched leaves and very short internodes. The flowers are about 4 cm across and 4 cm in length and are very fragrant. Each inflorescence carries about 2 to 4 flowers and all the plants we saw carried 1-3 spikes. We found it blooming during mid April with most of the plants in bloom and a few in bud.