Rescuing Wild Orchids
The rescue happened in 2006, in a remote area of Southwestern China in and near the Yachang National Orchid Nature Reserve in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regions, in the foothills of the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau. This remote, 220-square-kilometer nature preserve holds more than 150 species of orchids, some of them in extremely large, relatively undisturbed populations. It exemplifies the world orchid hotspot that is Southwestern China, consisting of Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou Provinces.
Nearly 1000 delicate, reproductive-size orchid plants were carefully translocated from places slated for flooding. Altogether, the plants represented 29 species and 16 genera. In addition, a landscape company was hired to relocate nearly 1500 trees on the Chinese endangered plants list. The whole rescue action took nearly seven months to complete.
Above left-Cymbidium tracyanum, a rescued species. Above right- Kingidium braceanum, an epiphytic orchid which can be found growing naturally in the Reserve.
At right, the Yachang National Orchid Reserve.
Photography by Dr Hong Lui.
As seen in Tropical Garden, Spring 2012 issue.
