show book2

OrchidsWILD

OF CAMERON HIGHLANDS

REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS CAMERON HIGHLANDS

REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL

AWARENESSCAMERON HIGHLANDS

OrchidsWILD

OF CAMERON HIGHLANDS

A community based project on environmental conservation and

awareness

First published February 2009

WIL

D O

RC

HID

S O

F C

AM

ER

ON

HIG

HL

AN

DS

R.E

.A.C

.H.

Photography: Amran Nadzar Khan Antony van der Ent Kaliyannan Karupiah

Technical Advisor:Embi Abdullah

Design: Antony van der Ent

Press preparation: Naga DDB

Editors: Carrol Marie Lawrence Cheam May Choo Liau Tai Leong

Authors: Cheam May Choo Antony van der Ent Embi Abdullah Balu Perumal

Printed by: Digital Impressions Sdn Bhd.

Front photo: Epigeneium macropodum

Referred literature: The Orchids of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore by Gunnar Seidenfaden & Jeffrey J. Wood, Olsen & Olsen, Fredensborg, 1992.

First published February 2009 © 2009 R.E.A.C.H

ISBN 978-983-44449

This publication is available through:

Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands3rd Floor, No 1,Main Road,Brinchang, 39100, Cameron Highlands,Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysiawww.reach.org.myEmail: [email protected] All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmittedin any form or any means,electronic or mechanical,including photography,recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without priorpermission in writing from R.E.A.C.H.

COLOPHON

CONTENTS

07 Prologue

Cameron Highlands11 A hill resort

The montane forest 16 Montane forests18 Biodiversity hotspot in the highlands21 Cameron Highlands; an orchid haven

The Orchid family25 Orchidaceae a family like no other

Orchids in the wild30 Terrestrial Orchids 71 Saprophytic Orchids77 Epiphytic Orchids166 A whole lot more!

Threats to orchids182 Development and land clearing184 Illegal orchid poaching

Conservation189 Why protect the natural rainforest?190 Conservation efforts of REACH192 Ecotourism; plays a vital role193 REACH orchid team194 A new discovery196 Lost and found197 Photographing orchids

198 Index

201 Glossary

202 Acknowledgements

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, suspendisse nulla, rhoncus temp placerat fermentum

Let the rivers run free.

Cameron Highlands a hill resortCameron Highlands was discovered by a British surveyor named William Cameron in 1885. During a mapping expedition into the highlands of Malaya, he came across a beautiful plateau nestled in the moun-tainous terrains at altitudes of between 1300-1700 meters. Drawn by the cool temperate climate, the British eventually turned this highland “Shangri-la” into a hill resort and health retreat for its officers. Bungalows, hospital, mansions and a golf course were built. After the colonial era, the local affluent continued to settle in Cameron Highlands, attracted by its British countryside charm. The temperate climate also made this area ideal for tea cultivation and soon large areas were cleared for it. Vegetable, flowers and fruit farming followed. The population slowly increased to more than 30,000. Tourism

which includes both agro-tourism and ecotourism, is the second most important economic activity. Hotels, apartments and other housing have sprung up over the last two decades to cater for this. Cameron Highlands is the smallest district in the state of Pahang with a land area of only 71,218 hectares. To the west it soars to more than 2000 metres above sea level while it plummets to around 300 metres in the river valleys to the east. Coming from the south ,the townships include Ringlet, Bertam Valley, Tanah Rata, Brinchang. Tringkap, Kuala Terla, Kampung Raja and Blue Valley. From only one winding road across the rugged Titiwangsa range from Tapah in the 1920’s, Cameron Highlands now enjoys better accessibility via 2 roads linking it to Perak and Kelantan.

CAMERON HIGHLANDSIn

tro

duc

tio

n

Colonial buildings, Hilltop Bungalow in tudor-style (left) and Lin Lu Bungalow (above) set against a backdrop of mountain scenery.


Monkey cups basking in the sun on the mountain peak of Gunung Brinchang.


Cushions of soft moss in the cloud forest.

Biodiversity hotspot in the highlandsBiodiversity is the sum of all species occurring in an area and the tropical rainforest is the most diverse ecosystem in the world. Malaysia’s rainforest has a huge variety of plant species (approximately a quarter of the world’s total). Cameron Highlands located at the centre of Peninsular Malaysia exemplifies this. There are more than 14,500 species of flowering plants in Malaysia and many are of the highland variety. Orchids are widely represented with more than half of the 1000 species in Peninsular Malaysia endemic to the highlands. Other exotic plants in Cameron Highlands include the Nepenthes (monkey cups), a carnivorous plant (see photo), ferns such as Matonia pectinata (which is said to date back to the Jurassic ages) and local herbs e.g. kacik fatimah. The forest of the highlands also

support a rich variety of birds, insects and small mammals. In Peninsular Malaysia there are more than 70 species of highland birds and bird watching is a popular ecotourism activity. There is also an abundance of insects with the more glamorous being the giant rhinoceros beetle, the stag beetle and myriad butterflies. Many jungle trekkers will testify that bees, hornets and wasps are plentiful too. Mammals include short-tail moles and mountain goats (which locals call serow). The orchid survey team once stumbled upon a serow carcass during one of their jungle forays. Of the reptilians the dreaded ones include green pit vipers and oriental spitting cobras. The harmless reptilians are monitor lizards, mountain impress tortoise and agama lizards.

THE MONTANE FOREST

Matonia pectinata; a living fossil (left). Kacik Fatimah (Labisia pumila); is a local medicinal herb used as an aphrodisiac for women (above).

Dilochia This is a small genus of about 8 species. The plants are tall with erect, tough, cane-like stems. The species are mostly terrestrial but a few are epiphytic. The leaves are two tiered, leathery and elliptic. The inflorescences with fairly large colourful flowers are borne at the terminal ends of the erect stems. They are sparingly branched. Bracts are conspicuous and persistent. The flowers usually do not open fully. The sepals and petals are almost equal in size. The lip is parallel to the column. In Dilochia cantleyi the flowers are a creamy yellow tinged

with beautiful violet. The other species found in Cameron Highlands is Dilochia wallichii. The plants grow in thick vegetative matter or sometimes on branches and tree trunks where there is an accumulation of vegetative matter. The species occurs on mountain ridges, in damp moss in the highlands where they are normally exposed to direct sunlight. Most of the species are hardy plants and occur only in the highlands. The genus is distributed in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea.

Dilochia cantleyi

TERRESTRIAL ORCHIDSW

ild o

rchi

d f

amili

es

Found in Thailand, Malaysia, Java, Borneo, Sumatra and New Guinea in montane forests at elevations of 170 to 1500 meters. They are giant sized terrestrial orchids. Leaves are elliptic and inflorescence erect with few or no branches. Sepals and petals do not open widely. They are pinkish on the outside and light yellow on the inside. The lips are light yellow in colour with purplish-red markings.

Dilochia wallichii

Flower Size 3.75cm

Geodorum A group of epiphytic orchids of medium to large size. The pseudobulbs are almost round and subterranean. The stems are fleshy, bearing leaves that are broad and plicate. The flowers are large, attractive and are borne on long drooping inflorescences. Colours are usually white to creamy yellow. Sepals and petals are similar and almost equal in size. The lip is broad and concave with a saccate base. The central part of the lip is usually yellow lined with reddish orange veins. The column has a distinct foot.

The plants prefer a fairly shaded environment, thick well drained and moist medium on the rainforest floor. They are fairly hardy but will succumb under excessive sunlight. The species of this genus occur in the lowlands and also in the mountains at moderate elevations. They are distributed from India ,China to the Pacific Islands. The species found here are Geodorum densiflorum and Geodorum citrinum. The above picture was taken by Kali in a forest near Brinchang.

Geodorum citrinum, a medium sized terrestrial orchid with pseudobulbs.

TERRESTRIAL ORCHIDSW

ild o

rchi

d f

amili

es

BulbophyllumBulbophyllum is the largest genus in the orchid family with about 2000 species. There are at least 200 species recorded in Cameron Highlands. The scientific name comes from the Latin word ‘bulbus’ meaning bulb-like and the Greek word ‘pyhllon’ meaning leaf. This is in reference to the pseudobulbs from which the leaves emerge. This is a broad genus of mainly epiphytic plants of varying sizes. The vegetative forms range from tall, cane-like plants, root climbers that cling onto trees and occasionally rock surfaces to pen-dulous plants. The flowers are borne on inflorescences that arise from the base of the pseudobulbs or the rhizomes. The plants are sympodials with wide variations in the bulbs, leaves and flowers. However the basic criteria for this genus is that the pseudobulbs are single-node, the inflores-cences are basal and the lips mobile. The flowers emit an odour of rotting carcasses,

perfect for attracting flies, their usual pollinators. The plants prefer the cool shade of the rainforest and occur on trees by riverbanks and on hill-slopes. They are found both in the lowlands and in the highlands. Generally, however they are found growing in small clusters or climbers in small colonies on tree trunks or branches between the mid-storey to the canopy level. Sometimes they appear in the most common and unusual of places like on lamp posts, rooftops and crevices right smack in the town centre. The genus includes epiphytes, terrestrial and some lithophytic species. They are distributed in Southeast Asia, Australia, Africa, Central and South America. The above picture was taken by Antony, with him balancing precariously on the tree branches 5 metres above the ground!

Bulbophyllum aeolium, this extraordinary orchid occurs in hill and lower montane forests.

EPIPHYTIC ORCHIDSW

ild o

rchi

d f

amili

es


This relatively large orchid is highly sought after by collectors. The sepals and petals come in different hues of yellow, orange and red. In full bloom the dorsal sepal is erect and the lateral sepals are curved towards each other. The petals are narrower, horizontally spread with fine purple veins on them. The lip is prominent and curved. Each pseudobulb has a single leaf and bears a single flower. This epiphytic species is found in Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines at altitudes of 700 to 2000 meters. They thrive in lowland and montane forests on trunks and main branches of trees.

Bulbophyllum

lobbii

Flower Size 6cm


A very prominent feature of this orchid is the maroon coloured veins streaking across the petals and sepals like zebra stripes. The dorsal sepal tapers to a sharp point and the lateral sepals lie close together, edges almost touching. The lip is relatively small, bright orange in colour and warty looking. They are found in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. It is rarely sighted in Cameron Highlands now.

Bulbophyllum inunctum

Flower Size 2.5cm


Words cannot adequately describe this wonderful flower, which is yet another proof of Mother Nature’s creative genius. The flowers numbering 6 to 8 are beautifully arranged in a circle to form a crown of greenish-yellow. The sepals are long and tapering with dark green veins. The petals are narrower than the sepals and their ends are almost whisker-like. The lip resembles a lolling tongue of white with a dark purple centre. They are found in the Peninsular Malaysia, the Moluccas and Sumatra at elevations of around 760 to 1000 meters.

Bulbophyllum

virescens

Flower Size 30cm

RARE BULBOPHYLLUMS

B. blumei B. botryophorum

B. diplantherum B. flavescens

B. optusipetalum B. spp. aff. membranaceum

B. tortuosum B.biflorum

Bromheadia CeratostylisA group of epiphytic or terrestrial plants of slender and long stems up to heights of 2m. Leaves may be lanceolate or flattened. The flowers are borne on inflorescences at the terminal ends or laterally on the stems. The flowers are fairly large and quite striking in colour but only one or two bloom in succession. Sepals and petals are similar and widely spreading. Lips are shorter than sepals. Plants are often seen growing in clumps and hanging down from tree branches or clusters standing erect in semi-shaded habitat. The genus is found throughout the lowlands and also in the cool mountains at moderate to high elevations. In Sarawak, natives use the juice from pounded roots of B. finlaysoniana as a herbal medicine.

A genus of small epiphytic plants that grows in clusters, creeping or sometimes pendulous. They are often seen on tree branches or on trunks where they cling in clusters with roots spreading. The stems maybe short or long and are seen hanging downwards from the branches. The leaves are also short and narrow and in many instances rounded. The flowers are usually small borne on inflorescence at the apex of the stems and are not particularly colourful. They are mid-storey or canopy level epiphytes that prefer a semi-shaded environment and are easily vulnerable to environmental changes. This genus is usually found in higher elevations but is also found at low elevations. They are distributed from India, China through Southeast Asia and east to the Pacific Islands.

Ceratostylis robusta

EPIPHYTIC ORCHIDSW

ild o

rchi

d f

amili

es

CoelogyneThis is a large genus of sympodial plants which has beautiful and outstanding flowers. Some species of this genus are also known as “necklace orchids” because of their long pendant multi-flowered inflorescences. The characteristic feature of this genus is its deep stigmatic cavity from which it derives its name (Koilos is the Greek word for ‘hollow’ and gyne means ‘woman’). The pseudobulbs of the plants could be clustered or apart and have large, sometimes broad leaves. The flowers are large, fairly colourful on erect or pendulous, hanging inflorescence. They range from a few to as many as forty flowers which open simultaneously or in succession. The sepals are free, often concave. The petals are free and narrower than the sepals. The lip is tri-lobed with high lateral lobes along the basal part. The terminal part of the lips maybe

smooth, toothed or warty. The column bears two long pollinia. In some species the flowers emit a sweet smell to attract pollinators such as bees, wasps and beetles. The flowers can be cultivated but do not last long and therefore not very popular with hybridists. Their habitat ranges from huge trees, along river banks, (the picture on page 1 and 2 was taken with great difficulty because the orchid was on an overhanging branch above a rushing river), slopes or deep valleys, where they grow as epiphytes or some-times as terrestrials. The species are found in the lowlands and highlands at various elevations and localities. It is an interesting group of 190 species and is found in Himalayas, India, China, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. In Cameron Highlands alone a few Coelogyne species can be found.

Coelogyne stenochila, grows in Peninsular Malaysia exposed ridges in upper montane forests.

EPIPHYTIC ORCHIDSW

ild o

rchi

d f

amili

es


This is an epiphyte with clustered pseudobulbs carrying a single leaf. It blooms on a 7.5 cm long inflorescence. The flowers are large and appear singly. The sepals and petals are pinkish-orange in colour. The lips are dark brown and have a ruffled appearance. They are found in Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra in montane forests at elevations of 700 to 1900 meters.

Coelogyne xyrekes

Flower Size 7.5cm


This is another lovely Coelogyne orchid. This epiphyte has pseudo-bulbs carrying long, pendulous, 4 to 12 flowered inflorescences. The flowers are predominantly white. Sepals and petals are snow white. Lips are white on the outer surface but brown on the inner surface which is streaked with white veins. The ‘landing pad’ on the lip is a bright attractive yellow to lure insects. This species is found in Peninsular Malaysia in montane forests. They live on shrubs, tree trunks and large branches at elevations of 1650 to 2000 meters.

Coelogyne kaliana

Flower Size 2.5cm

DendrobiumThis is a broad genus of sympodial plants with over 1200 species. Dendrobium is the second largest genus after Bulbophyllum. Dendrobium in Greek essentially means “one who lives on trees” or epiphyte. It is derived from the word dendron (“tree”) and bios “ life”. With so many species under this genus there is a wide variation in plant forms, leaves and flowers. Some stems are fleshy pseudobulbs, some are tough, large canes, whilst some are small and slender like. The leaves also vary widely, from small single fleshy leaves to flat or thin leaves, to cylindrical terete forms. The flowers vary from large to small, showy and colourful, singly or on inflorescences borne at the apex or laterally. The flowers may last for 1 day to months. They are usually epiphytic but are sometimes lithophytic. The species are

adaptable to various habitats, some prefer moist warm growth conditions whilst some prefer cool, dry and plentiful sunlight to grow. The genus occurs over a wide area in the lowlands as well as the highlands ranging through all parts of Asia to the Pacific and is the second most common orchid genera after Cattleyas to be cultivated. Some species are grown as medicinal plants. Dendrobium nobile is used as traditional Chinese herbal medicine. This genus is widely hybridized by horticulturists. We have found many species of this genus all over Cameron Highlands, from the Orang Asli villages to various forest reserves but because of rampant poaching they have become scarce. Dendrobium brinchangense is shown in REACH’s logo.

Dendrobium revolutum, is found in Myanamar, Thailand, Malaysia and Laos.

EPIPHYTIC ORCHIDSW

ild o

rchi

d f

amili

es


This species has spectacular flowers that from afar look like pink bouquets. The stems are leafy, about 20 cm long bearing short single flowered inflorescences. The sepals and petals are pink lined with maroon veins and petals are narrower than sepals. Lips are not distinct. Dendrobium kentrophyllum is found in the eastern Himalayas, Laos, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. They occur in peat swamp, hill, ridge-top and lower montane forests at elevations from sea-level to 1520 meters.

Dendrobium

kentrophyllum

Flower Size 2cm


The flowers of this species resemble the flowers of Coelogyne kaliana but the sepals and petals are not pure white. They are tinged with pink. The pseudobulbs are 2 to 3 cm long and the leaves short and broad. The inflorescences are short with 3 to 5 flowers. The centre part of the lip is a bright yellow with reddish brown veins at the base. This species is found in Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra.

Epigeneium longipes

Flower Size 2.5cm

OberoniaOberonia is a group of small to medium sized epiphytic orchids. Occasional they are terrestrial. The plants have short or long slender stems, normally with flat fleshy lanceolate leaves. The inflorescence is borne terminally, covered with dense small flowers often quite colourful and bloom simultaneously. The flowers are often arranged in regular whorls. Sepals are usually broad, equal in size and reflexed. Petals are usually narrower than sepals and sometimes toothed. Lip is always at the top of the flower. It is usually tri-lobed, concave at the base with the basal lobes embracing the column. Column is very short with 4 pollinia. The

species of this genus are mainly found in the wild, on branches and limbs of host trees along riverbanks and valleys. They are also seen on trees in inhabited areas. The genus inhabits the lowland rainforest and mountain forest at mid-elevation. They are easy to recognize due to their laterally compressed leaves and slender terminal inflorescences with minute flowers. About thirty species are recorded in Peninsular Malaysia. There are around 330 species in this genus worldwide. They are usually found in the tropical regions. This orchid is one of our favourites, the inflorescences look like beautiful bracelets at close range.

Oberonia anceps

EPIPHYTIC ORCHIDSW

ild o

rchi

d f

amili

es

Where have all the trees gone?Is there still hope for the future?

Conservation of orchids efforts of REACH

One of REACH’s maiden projects was reintroducing Paphiopedilum barbatum into the wild. This species used to be found in abundance in the jungles of Cameron Highlands. Resembling a carpet of flowers in some areas! But no longer.Paphiopedilum barbatum is very highly sought after. As it is difficult to propagate this plant in the nursery and the time taken for it to flower is long, demand has exceeded supply. This eventually led to a poaching frenzy and within a couple of years one could hardly find them in the jungles anymore. In April 2003, a few of these Lady’s Slippers were returned to the wild at two designated plots. Unfortunately all the plants in one plot have been removed by unscrupulous individuals and the success of this project is now dependent on

the second site. All Paphiopedilum species are listed on CITES.REACH is currently attempting to estab-lish the region as a National Park, as this status would ensure stricter legislation and enforcement, providing better protection for the local rainforests. One of our primary aims is to maintain the bio-diversity of the local area and secure it for future generations. In our efforts to prom-ote sustainable management REACH is also involved in encouraging re-cycling. To facilitate transport of recyclables a com-pactor site is being constructed.Plans are now afoot to set up a wild orchid sanctuary with the help of the local forestry department. This is to house the wild orchids confiscated from the poa-chers.

CONSERVATION

The ongoing REACH reforestation project is highly successful. Here members of the Japanese long-stay clubs are going out to plant trees (above and left).

Ecotourism plays a vital role in nature conservation

Ecotourism is defined by the International Ecotourism Society (TIES) as “Res-ponsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-bring of local people.” To do this several criteria should ideally be satisfied. This includes conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity through ecosystem protection, promotion of sus-tainable use of biodiversity by the sharing of socio-economics benefits with local communities and minimizing the environ-mental impact of tourism. In Cameron Highlands where ecotourism is a major source of income, these guiding principles should be applied. By preserving the remaining forests here the biological diversity of the flora and fauna will be conserved. This will draw ecologically conscious visitors here and provide

a constant, sustainable source of revenue to the people of Cameron Highlands. On the contrary if the forests are cleared for its products e.g. timber this will provide only a one-off source of revenue and future generations will be deprived of its benefits. Conserving the forests will also serve to protect the cultures of our Orang Asli (indigenous people). With their extensive knowledge of the forests they can be excellent ecotourism guides. From local data available the influx of tourists has exceeded the carrying capacity of Came-ron Highlands. Water resources, sanit-ation, traffic flow are now compromised due to the uncontrolled development in recent years. In conclusion it does not make sense to our destroy forest, the very thing that attracts tourists here.

CONSERVATION

Ecotourism can be a vital factor in achieving sustainable development and nature conservation.

REACH orchid team and the orchid bookDocumentation of any wildlife species especially those nearing extinction is important. It reminds us of the urgent need for preservation of their natural habitat. The orchid survey team led by En. Embi Abdullah was formed in 2002 for this purpose. Other members include Amran Khan, Kaliyannan Karupiah, Liau Tai Leong, Zulkifli Mohd Ariffin and Ramakrishnan Ramasamy.

This enthusiastic group has sacrificed numerous weekends traversing the forests in search of wild beauties and naming them. Their sojourns have always been interesting and sometimes hilarious; from crossing raging rivers, falling into ravines, getting lost, chased by hornets, to stumbling across new orchid species while answering the call of nature! The task of identification and verification of the

orchids has been done with due diligence using published references and verification by local experts. This book does not aim to be a reference book. It is a pictorial book and text has been intentionally kept simple. Pictures of whole orchid plants have been minimal to reduce the chances of poachers identifying them in the forest.

CONSERVATION

The REACH orchid survey team in action! From left to right: Rama, Embi, Liau and Amran (left). Antony, Amran and Liau (above).

REACH Orchid Survey:

Species of Wild Orchids 605Newly recorded Genus 1New recorded Species 25New Forms 35Probable new Species 3

WILD

Cymbidium simulans Dendrobium aduncum

Dendrobium aloifolium Dendrobium anosmum (forma)

Dendrobium erosum Dendrobium hasseltii

Dendrobium mannii Dendrobium pachyphyllum

show book2

Documents