Orchids - Wild beauties

By RICK GREGORY

IN the kingdom of flowering plants, orchids rule the emerald Earth. Of the over 25,000 species found worldwide, Malaysia is home to some 850 species in the peninsula and another 2,500 in Sabah and Sarawak.  

To obtain such abundance, orchids are opportunists that grow in high altitudes and high in the forest canopy, along the coastal plain and among rocky ravines, with most either creeping or climbing on sturdy tree trunks and intertwined among long branches. A few even survive on limestone rocks and in the moist shade of the jungle floor. 

Paphiopedilum niveum (Slipper orchid) is a terrestrial orchid peculiar to the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia.

The greatest variety of wild orchids are in the hills and mountains. Taman Negara and Cameron Highlands in Pahang are two of the better-known localities for observing orchids but real orchid admirers should visit Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. Orchids account for a quarter of all flowering plants on the mountain, totalling a staggering 1,200 species. 

Unique and uncanny  

Wild orchid plants are usually much smaller than their commercially-grown hybrid counterparts. To appreciate the full beauty and not just the blooms of these jungle ornaments, it will be good to understand a little ecology and evolution.  

Most Malaysian orchids are epiphytes – plants that grow on others for physical support without harming the host. Some grow on the ground and a limited few thrive on decaying plant matter. 

Wild orchids are an amazing artistic display. The spectacular array of colours, patterns and sizes has evolved over millennia to make them more attractive to small insect pollinators and to take advantage of specific habitats.  

The flower structure of orchids gives them their character. Some are tiny and singular; others are elongated with numerous blossoms. The tiger orchid, the world’s largest at up to 3m, is a random but magnificent sight of hundreds of hefty yellowish flowers pockmarked with maroon blots.  

Coelogyne xyrekes. A beautiful orchid, most commonly found in the highland forests of Peninsular Malaysia.

In other species, the flowers are delicate little blooms less than 1cm wide.  

Orchids can last for weeks or just a few hours. One species opens its flowers at dawn and by noon, shrivels away. Orchids are also noted for their odorous offerings. Did you know that the sweet-scented smell of vanilla is actually an orchid? 

Wild orchids also showcase a spectrum of leaf designs. One of the most prized species is the jewel orchid, a plant with broad flamboyant leaves. The elephant ear orchid has thick leaves, others have pleated palm-like leaves or narrow, leathery leaves, while some species have no leaves at all. 

Rare collection 

Like most art, private collectors seek wild orchids. Many species, once abundant, are now infrequently found in the rainforest due to over-collecting and habitat destruction.  

Rarity fetches high prices in world markets, leading to the plunder of valued species like the slipper orchid Paphiopedilum rothschildianum or Dimorphorchis sp. And many rare orchids are restricted only to certain locations. Wild populations are thus reduced to remnants. Several hundred orchid species are rare or are endangered in East Malaysia alone. To protect the remaining species of these unique plants, conservation centres have been established in lowland and mountain areas.  

Rick Gregory has a degree in forestry and Dr Reza Azmi is a biologist.
 

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