Epiphyte. With several short pseudo-stems arranged together to form a huge cluster. The pseudo-stems are clothed with broad overlapping acute sheaths. Leaves three to five from each stem, long as 14 to 20 cm and 2 to 4 cm in width, coriaceous, oblong to lanceolate, sub-acute, slightly narrowed to a channelled petiole. Inflorescence pendulous, with a few lanceolate sheaths, longer or of the same size as that of the leaves. Raceme many flowered. Flowers 2 to 3 cm across. Sepals and petals brownish to pale purple, with very narrow pale greenish margins; lip of a darker shade mottled with spots of even darker shade, also the base of the lip got a white patch and two dark purplish violet spots on the sides. Sepals sub-equal, oblong to lanceolate, acute, dorsal erect and lateral undulate. Petals slightly smaller than the petals, ovate-lanceolate, spreading. Both the sepals and petals are five nerved. Lip as long as petals, oblong, base decurved.
The Pursuit
A plant which went scarce due to over collection for commercial purposes. I never encountered this species from the region despite several attempts. In the year 2011, I was in the Himalayas in the early summer with my flower hunt of the region. In the referral book, the blooming time of this species was mentioned as May and June, so decided to try my luck. In the town I was putting up, there are a few nurseries with some good collection of Cymbidiums. Made several enquires with them in vain to get some information about its natural habitats. The “politics” of orchid research is very volatile, so no informations will be passed on to anyone. However, from one of the nurseries, I was able to meet a person who had earlier collected the species from its natural habitat. He was kind enough to explain to me about its natural habitat, a place around 45 km away and at around 5500 to 7000 ft. He had collected the species from that area around 20 years ago, but got no idea about its blooming time or its flowers. Usually the information from local collectors will end in mismatches, as they are not aware about the exact identifications or scientific observations and its values. I decided to try my luck and made a trip to there with some essential commodities like food for a couple of days, tent and sleeping bag. The area said was totally devoid of any human settlement and the nearest village was around 7 km away. I pitched my tent on the cricket ground of the village and rested for the night. Next day with the help of a college going village boy, I started the hunt for the species. The trees of the region were tall and huge, with thick canopies prevented peering of the eyes. Came back in the evening with an aching neck. Due to some personal work the college boy was not able to accompany me the next day. I went all alone into that thick forest with a hope that luck will strike me before I encounter any wild animals. Venturing inside deep forests without company is like inviting danger. But, in some circumstances I am forced to make solo trips. That day was one of many days of my solo adventures. The higher I climbed the hill, the taller the trees were and the thicker the canopies. As there were a few water sources in that thick forest from which the near by villagers sourced water, the thick vegetation got some tracks also, which the villagers used to go to clean the water sources once in a while. I followed one such track which took me to a water source. Water sources are the most dangerous places inside the forest with presence of wild animals always. Searched the whole area but could not able to find any signs of the species. Thought of climbing the hill further up, the thick vegetation and stories of bear sightings made me think twice. But, the eagerness in me to find the species overtook the fear in me. The climb with heavy camera bag and the referral book was very hard, so dropped them on a safe place and proceeded further up the hill, through thickets and itching bushes for another 20 minutes, with no trace of the species. Another disappointing day in the hills. The lonely climb without result made me so frustrated, I was not able to sleep and spend the whole night looking at the night sky and counting the stars. Next day, two villagers accompanied me and we followed the stream and went to the other side of the hill. Climbed the hill from that side and surveyed the whole area. Finally, as it was “made for me”, we found a few huge cluster of this species with seven blooming racemes on the top of a 80 footer tree. I was overjoyed with the find, still the thoughts of climbing up that huge tree made my head spin. Rest was a miracle. The two villagers did everything for me, carried the camera and flashes and one of them even carried me on his shoulders up the tree and I got this wonderful photograph of the species. I will never forget this particular hunt, especially those moments up that tall tree!!!!