Tag: Himalayan Orchids

Dendrobium amoenum Wall.

Epiphyte, mostly pendulous. Stem long as 35 to 70 cm and 1 to 2 cm in diameter, slightly thickened at nodes. Leaves alternate, 4 to 6 cm long and 1 to 2 cm in width, oblong lanceolate, apex acute. Flowers beautiful, 2 to 3 cm across, arising from nodes of leafless stems, 2 to 3 from short bracteate penduncles. Sepals white with pale violet margins, petals white with a violet blotch on its tips tip, lip white with a violet blotch near its apex and another greenish yellow towards its middle with a few purple streaks on its sides. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, three veined, slightly longer than the petals. Petals broader than the sepals, ovate, obtuse, one veined. Lip long as the sepals, oblong-obovate, clawed at the base with broad side lobes; the terminal lobe with undulate edges and rounded or sometimes with pointed tips; with puberulous upper and lower surfaces.

Dendrobium amoenum, Wall
Dendrobium amoenum Wall

The Pursuit

“One of the most charming of Indian Dendrobes” – wrote Sir. George King and Robert Pantling. The plant’s pendulous and long stems always attract attention. Found growing in the tropical valleys and to altitudes up to 5000 ft in the hills. I had spotted the species, a few of them, from an intermediate altitude and waited for the monsoon season to see them in flowers. The month of May is the season of many blooming and I am forced to travel long distances every day to study and document various other species. But always remembered this “charming” one. Visited the area in the mid of May to see them in buds. Hoping it will be in bloom, visited the spot after 8 days to find it again in buds only. The whole program to the North hills was to be re-scheduled for this species and I waited for the next few days to see it in bloom. Every morning I made a long drive to the spot to see buds only, but seeing the buds swollen was encouraging. Finally, on the fourth morning, I got to see this “charming” beauty in full bloom. Selected the best of the best flower, a very difficult job – to select a beauty from a dozen beauties!!! The pendulous and long stem always swings in the wind thus making it difficult to pin sharp the flower. However, I am lucky enough to have the experience of working in those windy conditions and produced this wonderful photograph with some extra micro lighting techniques.

Aerides multiflora Roxb, Pl Corom.

Epiphyte. A very stout stemmed plant which attains a height of 20 to 25 cm. Leaves flushed with reddish tinge, oblong, recurved, tapered to the bifid apex, long about 10 to 18 cm in length. Racemes longer then the leaves, simple, axillary, many flowered. The peduncle long and with distant short sheaths. Flowers beautiful, rose coloured, sepals and petals are often with irregular dark spots of the same colour, lip with dark coloured veins, all with paler margins. Sepals and petals sub-equal, oblong, blunt. Lip twice as long as the sepals, entire, triangular.

Aerides multiflora, Roxb, Pl Corom
Aerides multiflora Roxb, Pl Corom

The Pursuit

This is a species of the tropical areas and blooms in the the high summer days, when the temperature is on the rise. Devoid of any wind, the tropical valleys of the Eastern Himalayas are humid. It is a common species found in various locations. However, the flowers get dirty while in bud form itself due to humid and dusty conditions of the region. So I decided to look for this species on valleys inside the forested area, so that they will be fresh and pretty to be photographed. Spotted a few plants on the banks of a tributary of River Teesta on the Eastern side of the river. I still remember the journey to the valley, a deep descend from an altitude of 2800 ft to 540 ft with the temperature as high as 36C. Totally wet with sweat from my body, the first thing I did on reaching the valley was to dive into the river. Enjoyed a cool swim in the flowing cold water for about half an hour. Then climbed up the tree to have this beautiful shot of the species. Really enjoyed the flowers and the photograph I got, not the tedious climb I have to make back to the motor-able road to find a vehicle to go home.