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Wilting
before Vesak The Vesak Orchid thrives in the humid climate in the Low-Country Wet Zone upto an elevation of about 2,000 feet and is found to be confined to the Ratnapura district, especially the Sinharaja Forest and its environs. It blooms during the Vesak season (May), but sometimes also in other months of the year such as February, June, September or October. An epiphyte by nature, the Vesak orchid grows on the trunks of trees with no connection to soil. It does not obtain any nourishment from the host tree either. The mass of roots with which the plant is attached to the tree gathers decaying plant matter, thus creating a soil of sorts from which it draws the necessary nutrients. The flowers, large and faintly scented, are produced in pairs at the nodes of the leafless stem (pedudo bulb), each being about 3 inches in length and about the same in breadth. They are pinkish-purple with the labellum (lower petal) purple with a pinkish border, and a deep purple blotch at the throat. A rare white version has sometimes been described. One of the causes for the depletion of the Vesak orchid is the destruction of the wet zone forests which are its natural habitat. Another is surely the collection of plants for domestic cultivation or sale. These practices however do not appear to be successful as the flowers wither away once they are exposed to the sun. The Vesak orchid is among six species of orchids that have been afforded protection under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance since 1938. The regulations prohibit the damaging, destroying, collecting, selling or exposing for sale of any one of these orchids. However, regulations alone will not be enough to save the Vesak orchid from the biggest threat to its survival, which is the destruction of its natural habitat. |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Of
the 169 varieties of orchids found in Sri Lanka, 74 are endemic
to the island. Among these the Vesak Orchid, scientifically known
as Dendrobium Maccarthiae, named after the British Governor Charles
MacCarthy (1860-1863), is perhaps the most rare.
