“Vanda Miss Joaquim”, the national flower of Singapore

The picture shows the “Vanda Miss Joaquim” orchid with its purple flowers. This variety was bred by Agnes Joaquim (born Ashkhen Hovakimyan), a woman of Armenian descent whose name became part of Singapore's history. In 1899 she presented the flower at a flower show, where it attracted great attention and won a prize.

The same year, only 3 months later, Agnes died of cancer. She was buried in the Bukit Timah cemetery, and later her gravestone was moved to the courtyard of the Armenian Church of St Gregory the Illuminator. In 1947 the flower was chosen as the emblem of a political party, and in 1981 it was officially proclaimed the national flower of Singapore.