Naresh Swami | The Orchids of the Sikkim Himalaya | Memoirs of an orchid hunter – Page 19 – Naresh Swami, The Orchids of the Sikkim Himalaya, Memoirs of an orchid hunter, sikkim orchids, darjeeling orchids

Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Swartz.

Epiphyte. Leaves coriaceous, obtuse, fleshy, linear-oblong, slightly notched at the apex with the base expanded than the apex, long, up to 40 to 50 cm and 2 to 4 cm in width. Inflorescence from the base of the pseudo-stem, variable in length, between 35 to 60 cm long. The peduncle with several acute scarious sheaths near the base. Raceme with many flowers. Flowers 2 to 3 cm across. Sepals and petals yellowish orange with petals slightly brighter than the sepals. Both with a radiating purple stripe, notably wider on petals than sepals. Lip white with purple parallel stripes on its base. Sepals narrowed, sub-equal, oblong, slightly oblanceolate, blunt, dorsal erect and lateral pairs somewhat falcate. Petals shorter than the sepals, ovate-oblanceolate, blunt. Lip as long as the sepals, oblong, disc with two broken lamellae and disconnected in the middle; apical lobe much decurved.

The Pursuit

This species is purely a native to tropical valleys, also observed growing up to 3500 ft in some areas. My flower hunts on the Eastern side of the region, especially on the Assam highway helped me to notice this species growing in abundance on trees inside a few Tea estates. Also, in the monumental book of Sir. George King and Robert Pantling, the habitat is mentioned as “low elevations”. My desire to get the perfect descriptions of them by the authors, made me concentrate on the plants of that area which was around 300 to 450 ft altitude only. That place was around 70 km away from my place of stay, and also the temperature rises up to 37C during the mid-day hours (in the Himalayas the rising temperature is my enemy!!!!). When ever I do my survey on those areas I start my day very early, so that the survey of that area can be done well before the sun climbs right above my head. Got information from the local friends that a lot of plants are in bloom and went there in the early hours. The drive will take around 3 hours. On that day, I was forced to climb up some trees to look for another species, so the drive took for more time to reach. It was true, that a lot of trees were bearing this flowers in plenty. As it was in a Tea estate where there are a lot of workers, helping hands are of no scarcity. I found a very good plant at around 8 ft from ground with pendulous flowers hanging right in front of my eye level. The enthusiastic workers around were helping me by holding flashes from various sides to produce this wonderful photograph. It seemed all of the workers want to be part of this monumental work. The Manager of the Tea estate invited me for lunch and returned by late afternoon only. While working in the hills where comfort is at its minimum, a meal like that will always keep one happy.

Cremastra appendiculata (D Don) Makino.

Terrestrial. Leaves single, 15 to 25 cm long and 2 to 5 cm in width, plicate, elliptic to lanceolate, narrowed into a long petiole, veined. Flowers dropping, on a terete, erect, naked racemose arising from the bulbous stem, as long as 22 to 30 cm. Flowers pale pink with varying darker spots and streaks, especially on petals and lip. Sepals and petals narrowly lanceolate with the the former three veined. Both closely pressed at the base and the former slightly spreading towards the apex. Petals smaller than the sepals. Lip adnate at the base of the column, erect, linear, minutely sub-saccate at the base, 3 lobed at the apex. The lateral lobes oblong and divergent, the apical exceeding the lateral, oblong and blunt with a fleshy appendage near its base.

The Pursuit

This is a species I searched for three years. This species was never documented from the region and the drawing and the descriptions in the referral book was totally inadequate. No information on its habitat was available in any of the books except “at elevation of 6000 to 8000 ft”. Another confusion also prevailed in the form of the number of leaves. King and Pantling mentioned as “Leaves usually two”, but in other referral photographs collected from various scientific works showed only solitary leaf. However, I got a clear idea of its flowering season from various works and decided for a detailed survey during early monsoon days especially around 7000 ft. With the monsoon the leeches are very active at those altitudes, also the forest floor will be full of undergrowth, making it a very difficult task to find a small plant which hardly grows for 30 cm. Determined to find, I repeatedly visited a hill slope with semi-alpine trees all over. That area got one more obstacle in the form of some itching plants, which causes too much itching and irritation for days. The search continued for several days, with no trace of Cremastra. However, every other day I found some other species, so the leech bites I got every day was worth a deal. Finally, on the 17^th day of survey at that place, I found three plants of this species, one in full bloom and the other two in buds. The plants were hardly 25 to 30 cm in height only, so I have to sit flat on the forest floor for documenting it, which made the leeches so healthy!!!. Every evening I spend considerable time in pulling them off from my body. Even the “imported” leech guards we use for those terrains were of no use. Documented it very well to my great satisfaction and returned home with all those leeches all over my body. While comparing the photographs with various descriptions on that evening, I found out the peculiarity in the lip of the flower. Wished to a have a low angle photograph to bring out its details. Travelled again to the area the next day to see the second plant also in bloom, which was around 30 cm in height. To get a low angle shot of a 30 cm height plant on a forest floor full of leeches is like offering a grand feast to the leech community. My previous encounters made me insert cotton balls into my nostrils and ear holes. Lied flat on the forest floor for that particular low angle photograph, the rest was not something I want to experience again!!!! I still remember the satisfaction I got on that evening, when I transferred the photographs into my laptop.

Panisea uniflora (Lindl.) Lindl.

Epiphyte. Pseudo-bulbs as long as 2 to 4cm, coespitose, ovoid, mammillate, wrinkled throughout, attached are a few fibrous sheaths at the base. Leaves in pairs, narrowly oblong, acuminate, slightly narrowed at the base, sessile, 4 to 6 cm long and 1 to 1.5 cm in width. Flowers solitary, on a very short peduncle from the base of the pseudo-bulb. Flowers 2 cm across, sepals and petals greenish yellow, lip of the same shade on its apex and gradually progressing to bright yellow on the base side, also with few spots orange spots. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, sub-acute, spreading, five veined. Petals shorter than the sepals, sub-acute, broadly lanceolate, mid veined. Lip oblong, with a very short claw at the base, the side lobes erect and narrow with their acute apices pointing forward.

The Pursuit

A rare species of the wild, I had encountered only a few plants in whole of the last 4 years of survey in the region. The find was also accidental. I was surveying the tropical valleys of the region for some other species, and encountered the mammillate (nipple shaped) bulbs of this species, probably the only species of the region with that shape. The drawings of the referral book was not so clear enough to make an understanding of the same. Made some drawings of the bulbs and leaves and some photographs before leaving the area. Verified from various sources and came to the conclusion that it is Coelogyne uniflora Lindl (Panisea uniflora (Lindl) Lindl. Visited the plant again and again to see the appearance of buds. On each visit I and my friend surveyed the whole area in vain to find more specimens of it. By the mid of summer buds came and it started blooming. Working in the tropical valleys and also in the peak of summer is very tiring, not to mention about precise micro photography with 7 to 10 flashes at one go. The flowers are also solitary and on very short peduncle much closer to the pseudo-bulbs. This formation also made the entire documentation very arduous. Scarcity of the species left no options, other than to shoot the one in front of me. Finally after careful observations, selected this particular flower and produced this wonderful photograph. The lip of this flower got some orange spots which were not documented on camera earlier by anyone, even though it was reported on texts as early as 1888. As I know in the coming years I may be not able to find this species, I put extra efforts to document those orange spots on its lip with additional lighting techniques. The whole work took several hours on that day which saw the mercury up by many notches.

Coelogyne ochracea Lindl.

Epiphytic, pseudo-bulbs ovate-oblong to cylindric, furrowed, as long as 4 to 6 cm and about 1 to 2 cm in diameter, attached to a stout rhizome few centimeters apart. Leaves 8 to 12 cm long and about 2 cm in width, oblong, acute, narrowed to the channelled petiole. Racemes from the base of the old pseudo-bulbs, shorter than the leaves, erect or slightly decurved. Peduncle stout and with several large imbricating sheaths. Flowers white with yellow blotched lip, also very fragrant. Sepals and petals pure white, the side lobes of the lip has two blotches of yellow margined with orange red and two united orbicular yellow blotch with orange red margins on the base. Sepals sub-equal, oblong-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, spreading. Petals, slightly longer than the sepals, much narrower, also tapering on both sides. Lip oblong, constricted about the middle, lateral lobes large, incurved, the edges serrulate; terminal lobe rotund to oblong, blunt, entire or very slightly notched at the apex, the disc with two ridges.

The Pursuit

The flowers of this species have got a very soothing fragrance. Not an uncommon species of the tropical forests. The unique shape of its pseudo-bulbs make it easily identifiable. I had photographed this species in bloom several times without much satisfaction. Last year it was decided to reshoot this flower in a much better way. My earlier interaction with this species made me well aware of its habitats and blooming days. Found a healthy plant from a small tree and waited for it to bloom. During the months of April and May this region of the Himalayas receive some heavy summer rains on few occasions. The summer rains are widely welcomed by the people of the region, as it fills the already dried streams and fields. Exactly on the day of my healthy plant’s blooming, the region received heavy rains. Watching the rains through my window I cursed myself for missing a wonderful opportunity this season too. By the time the rains stopped all those flowers in bloom were wet and with water drops attached. I knew those photographs will not be satisfactory. As the particular season is full of blooming activities each hour mattered for me. After a lot of thinking and planning I decided to spend one more day there to test my luck with the species. The next day was pretty sunny and I left home as early as sunrise in search of more flowers in bloom. Searched for an hour and found a few plants in bloom on several trees, but at 10 to 15 ft height. The trees were unbranched on their lower portion which denied a good seating posture for me to shoot. Collected some bamboos from the area, tied them together with small wooden logs in between to make a ladder like structure. Climbed up the tree with the help of that and found a few good flowers and shot some photographs of my imagination. The fragrance of the flowers was so soothing, it lingered along for a long time.

Pleione humilis (Sm.) D.Don.

Epiphyte, observed as lithophytes also. Pseudo-bulbs coespitose, narrowly ovoid, tapering to the apex, enveloped partly with fibrous sheaths. Leaves membranous, elliptic, acute, tapering to the base, sessile, about 4 to 7 cm long and 3 to 3 cm in width at its centre, deciduous during flowering season. Peduncle from the base of the pseudo-bulb, enveloped in tubular sheaths. Flowers solitary, throughout white, except the lip which is speckled with brown spots and streaks. Sepals sub-equal, oblong, acute, spreading and are five nerved. Petals much narrower than the sepals but slightly longer, obtuse, three nerved. Lip shortly clawed, sub-orbicular, without side lobes, expanding into a wide mouth with emarginate apex, the disc with numerous fringed lamellae.

The Pursuit

The deciduous nature of this species during the flowering season is a surprise to all flower watchers. Like the phrase “out of the blue”, one day all the of trees in its habitat will be blooming with attractive white flowers. I had studied this plant in detail and surveyed possible habitats and spotted them when they were in leaves only. The fibrous sheaths which envelop the bulbs will help to identify the species. As I was aware of the flowering season, I decided to visit the place during those months. In the year 2012, I visited the area during the flowering season. To my surprise I found a lot of trees on the way itself with this white beauty in full bloom. Proceeded ahead, deep inside the forest to be away from the peering eyes of the tourists. As it blooms in the winter months, which are devoid of dusty and gusty winds, finding a perfect flower is not a difficult affair. However, getting a perfect photograph of an orchid flower with a wide mouthed lip is always some what tricky. Irrespective of the position of the flash, it produces dark shades inside the lip. I have to bring out all my expertise in “micro-flash use” to bring out this wonderful photograph. The winter months also provide a good environment to spend considerable time to study and document each flower.

Coelogyne flaccida Lindl.

Epiphyte. Pseudo-bulbs arranged close together, ovoid-cylindric, with many large fibrous brown sheaths at its base, 4 to 7 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. Leaves in pairs, slightly coriaceous, narrowly oblong, acuminate, narrowed into a long channelled petiole of around 2 to 4 cm long, leaves 6 to 10 cm long and around 2 to 3 cm in width. Raceme arises from the base of the pseudo-bulb, almost as long as the leaves or sometimes more, decurved. Peduncle short and with large lax sheaths at its base. The sepals and petals are pale brown and lip white with many streaks of purple and yellow spots and markings. Sepals sub-equal, oblong-lanceolate, acute, spreading. Petals much narrower than the sepals, slightly shorter, acute. Lip oblong, the side lobes long, with acute apices; the terminal lobe oblong; the disc with three yellow ridges. The flowers are of a displeasing smell.

The Pursuit

The locals of the region keep away from this plant during its flowering season due to its unpleasant smelling flowers. Neither do they plant species in their home. This is a plant of the low altitudes and a summer blooming species. The flowers are very beautiful despite its unpleasant odour. Spotted the plant on routine surveys on several trees at low altitudes. It was noticed that most of the plants are grown at medium heights on trees which made my climbing efforts very easy. The flowers of the whole open together which makes it easy to spot. So every day I looked for them to bloom. Finally by the mid of March, with summer temperature rising, I got the species in bloom, plenty of them all over the region. Carefully observed a lot of flowers to find a perfect one to shoot and made this wonderful photograph of the species. The unpleasant odour of the flower will make everyone move away from it quickly. However, I spend considerable time there to look for the pollinators which frequented the flowers.

Coelogyne stricta (D.Don) Schltr. – the variety form.

A look alike of the species plant. However, not found as common as it. The only notable difference is in the size of the pseudo-bulb and in the colour of the flowers. The bulbs of this variety are comparatively smaller than that of the species ones, and also the flowers are generally white to pale greenish white. Sepals are pale greenish white and petals pure white, rest of the flowers is as the species itself with the unpleasant odour also.

The Pursuit

Never ever heard of the white coloured Coelogyne elata Lindl (Coelogyne stricta (D Don) Schltr.So after documented the species, I had marked on the page of my reference book as “done” (a usual practice after finishing work on each species). However, while on a search to the same area, where I found the species, we found a few plants of this variety in buds which are unusually pale in colour. The unusual colouration of the buds caught my attention and I decided to have a comparative study of those buds with the species buds which produced the ochraceous flowers. To my bad luck I was not able to find any ochraceous ones in buds. So I was totally depended on the photographs from my collection. It was obvious that these pale coloured buds are rather unusual. Then the difference in the bulbs are also came to my notice. Out of curiosity I decided to cancel all the trips in the coming days and wait till the pale buds open up. On the sixth day, I still remember it being a bright sunny morning, with a clear view of the Lord, the mighty Kanchenjunga. On that day I was a able to have this wonderful photograph. Yes, it is a variety, with white to greenish white flowers.

Coelogyne stricta (D.Don) Schltr.

Epiphyte with comparatively large sized cylindric, smooth pseudo-bulbs, sheathed at the base, long as 6 to 13 cm and 4 to 6 cm in diameter. Bulbs are attached at a distance more than 4 cm apart on very stout sheathed rhizomes. Leaves in pairs, slightly coriaceous, elliptic oblong, acute, narrowed at the base to a long petiole. Leaves as long as 15 to 25 cm and 2.5 to 4 cm in width. Peduncle arising between the leaves from the apex of the adult bulbs, rather short or of the same size of the leaves, naked on the lower portion, with many closely arranged imbricate sheaths just below the raceme. Raceme 7 to 10 cm long, distichous, many flowered. Flowers 2 to 4 cm across, sepals and petals pale ochraceous, the lip white, the middle lobe with a broad wide spot of yellow spread across and with two parallel purple streaks. The flowers are of an unpleasant smell. Sepals sub-equal, oblong, sub-acute, spreading, three veined. Petals very narrowed, slightly longer than the petals, sub-acute, single veined. Lip elongate, the lower part oblong and with narrow entire side lobes, separated from the sub-orbicular anterior lobe by an erose edged sinus; anterior lobe irregularly erose, undulate, obtuse; the disc with two erose-crenulate lamellae from the base to almost apex.

The Pursuit

A sub-tropical species, which blooms along with the summer rains. Its large pseudo-bulbs and long leaves in pair draws attention even to casual plant hunters not to mention about explorers like me. I spotted this plant long back, but missed it in bloom for 3 years in a row. Determined to photograph it in bloom, I planned my trip to the region in the year 2012. The location was a place across a deep valley however the distance to be covered to reach there through the winding road was not less than 18 km. The road was also not motorable in any way for light vehicles. We were forced to hire a four-wheel drive vehicle at a very high price. The “hiring negotiations” took quite some time and delayed our journey till noon. The “expert” driver of the vehicle mis-calculated a muddy portion of the drive at the “9^th mile curve” and got his precious asset stuck in knee deep mud. All his expertise went in vain and we were forced to have a long walk that afternoon with looming dark clouds over the hills. The location of the flowers was more than 6 km away and uphill. No option was left with us other than trekking. Reached the spot with much difficulty around 4 PM with blessings from the sky in the form of a heavy shower. Waited inside a makeshift shed for the rains to stop. The dense jungle coupled with cloudy skies made the area darker much before the sunset. I rushed to climb up the tree and photograph the flowers. The entire process took hardly 40 minutes to get a beautiful photograph like this. By the time I finished my task, it was pitch dark and with the help of my “Kathmandu” head lamp, we started the journey back. By the time we reached our stranded vehicle, its driver had disappeared leaving the vehicle back. To be frank, I really enjoyed that whole night walk, back to the base camp and to my surprise there was not a drop of rain that whole night!!!

Bulbophyllum roxburghii (Lindl.) Rchb.f.

Epiphyte. Pseudo-bulbs small, ovoid-globose, attached 1 to 2 cm apart on very thin naked rhizome. Leaf solitary, oblanceolate, obtuse, obliquely notched, narrowed to the base, sessile, 3 to 5 long and around 1.5 cm in width. Scape shorter or as long as the leaves, sub erect, with two sheathing bracts and at the apex a radiating umbel of 10 to 15 beautiful flowers. Flowers are of pale brownish green base with reddish brown to dark purple spots and veins. The dorsal sepal is greenish brown with five dark purple veins and a few spots of the same colour, the lateral sepals are greenish brown with numerous spots and markings of various shades of reddish brown. Petals are rather with darker shade than the sepals and with three dark purple veins and numerous spots. The lip is of brownish yellow base and with purple spots and fine margin of the same shade. Both the dorsal sepal and petals are with purple coloured marginal cilia. The dorsal sepals are small, free from the lateral pair at its base, concave, lying over the column, ovate-acute, the tip with several soft hairs on its edges. The lateral pair, much longer than the dorsal, 3 to 4 times, narrowly oblong, very blunt, sub-falcate, coherent. Petals ovate, sub-acute, with very oblique bases, the edges ciliate. Lip broadly ovate at the base much narrowed in the anterior half, the apex obtuse, the edges entire.

The Pursuit

Another interesting species of the region. Never ever thought I will come across it with such ease. I and one of my close friend, who came all the way from Delhi were camping on the banks of a small stream. He came to the hills only to enjoy a few nights of “tent stay” under the open sky. We were on a casual walk on the first evening of our stay looking for some fallen woods, so as to make a camp fire in the evening. Walked through the right bank of the stream for some meters and crossed the knee high waters on top of a fallen tree to the other side. Collected some fire wood and took the same path back. My friend with some wood logs on his hand was not able to balance his way back over the fallen tree and crossed the knee high waters through the stream. I crossed the stream first and asked him to pose for a photograph holding the logs while inside the waters. I clicked few pics and went to him to collect his mobile, so that a few pics can also be clicked on his mobile. Suddenly, I spotted this species on the under side of the fallen tree, with around 20 to 25 bulbs and eight umbels of flowers. Three of them were in full bloom. In excitement I even forgot the presence my friend and the logs we collected and started documenting this flower the rest of the evening. If my friend was not there, I would have never ventured to that region on those days and would have missed this beautiful species in bloom. The fact that the entire plant population on that fallen tree will get destroyed when the water level rises in the river in the coming monsoon season made us think about replanting those rare plants to a safer place. The next day we both carefully replanted all those plants from that fallen tree to a near by tree on the same habitat. This year too, my friend came exactly on the same days of the year to see his efforts bearing new flowers in the new host tree.

Coelogyne cristata Lindl.

Epiphyte as well as lithophyte. Pseudo-bulbs 3 to 5 cm long, cylindric, very smooth, sheathed at the base, attached rather 3 to 5 cm distant on stout rhizome. Entire plant is pendulous. Leaves in pairs, narrowed to the sessile base, linear-oblong, acute, 7 to 12 cm long and around 2 cm in width. Racemes from the base of the pseudobulbs, pendulous, about as long as the leaves. Flowers large 4 to 6 c across, white except the disc of the lip, which is yellowish orange. Sepals and petals sub-equal, oblong, with entire undulate edges. Lip oblong, with rounded lateral lobes, disc between the side lobes with four fimbriate lamellae.

The Pursuit

A plant often found in huge pendulous clusters growing on trees and rocks of the region above 7000 ft. Found this in flower on a holiday trip to a near by waterfall. However, my favourite shooting gear, 105mm/2.8 micro lens and flashes were not with me. Cutting short my trip ahead and with a promise of joining the party next day, I returned to my place to get all the flower shooting accessories. Some minor trouble with the vehicle delayed my return to the location. I reached there by evening only, by then the freshness of those flowers found in the morning was not there, and decided to find a few new ones the next day. Went ahead to the water falls to be with my friends for the evening. Started the journey before sunrise the next day so as to be at the spot to shoot the flower in full bloom. I found 28 of them in flower, it was such a wonderful sight and will remain in my mind when ever I talk about this particular species. As usual photographing a pure white flower is a very tricky affair. The latest lighting techniques I use will even make microscopic dusts visible. However, with God’s grace the one I selected to photograph was a perfect one and I had this wonderful photograph without much trouble.