Sikkim Orchids – Page 3 – Naresh Swami | The Orchids of the Sikkim Himalaya

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.

Coelogyne corymbosa Lindl.

Epiphyte. Pseudo-bulbs crowded, ovoid, slightly sheathed at the base, 2 to 4 cm long, attached to a stout rhizome. Leaves narrowly elliptic-oblong, acute, narrowed to the sessile base, 8 to 12 cm long and 2 to 4 cm in width. Raceme of variable size, decurved, its peduncle enclosed in large sheaths. Flowers 3 to 5, but for the yellow blotched lip the flower is pure white through out, very sweet-scented. Sepals and petals sub-equal, with the later narrower, lanceolate. Lip oblong, much contracted about the middle, the lateral lobes broad and blunt, the terminal lobe ovate.

The Pursuit

A rather sub-alpine species, found growing above 8000 ft only. However, becoming very rare in the wild. Enjoyed and photographed the beauty from the region in 2007 much before I started my work on orchids. Very attractive and sweet scented flower, also found in one of my favorite places in the hills. It is always in bloom along with the Summer rains. As it is milk white throughout, getting a perfect photograph, no shadows – no marks, will be always a bit tricky. This particular photograph was from my 2012 collection, by that time the species has gone rare.. However, I got this perfect one without any markings and spots on its sepals and petals from a very tall tree. The tree was so huge and tall with heavy branches, so had a nice climb and sat comfortably near the flower and produced this beautiful photograph. Also, the “seating” was so comfortable, which enabled me use the optical fibre cable lighting, to lit up the three lamellae!!!!!

Bulbophyllum umbellatum var. umbellatum.

Epiphyte as well as lithophyte. Thick rhizomes with fibrous sheaths and many roots. Pseudo-bulbs 2 to 3 cm long, ovoid, wrinkled, either attached closely or slightly apart to the rhizome (hardly 1 cm apart). Leaf solitary, thick, narrowly oblong, the apex obtuse and notched, narrowed to the base, sessile, 7 to 10 cm long and 2 to 3 cm in width. Scape about twice as long as the pseudo-bulbs, with a sheath at the base. Flowers between 2 and 4 in umbels. Floral bract lanceolate, shorter than the stalked ovary. Flowers with pale brownish base with purple spots through out, the lip is pale green and column blotched with red. Dorsal sepal free at its base from the lateral pair, broadly ovate, acute; lateral sepals longer than the dorsal, free, ovate-lanceolate from a broad base, sub-acute, falcate, their upper margins curved inwards. Petals ovate, very obtuse. Sepals and petals veined. Lip oblong with a broad base, tapering to the sub-acute apex.

The Pursuit

My favorite of all Cirrhopetalums. Not so common, but I found a good population in a deep dense forest the previous year. Missed the first year of blooming as the species bloomed much before than what was described by Sir George King and Robert Pantling in their work. Despite a long trek through the dense forest I was so disappointed to see the species in seed pods. Searched the whole area to find at least one flower in bloom, without any success. I still remember the return journey from the forest. The bus owner who doubles as its driver too, was asking me, “kya hogaya Swamiji, phool nahi mila?” (what happened Swamiji, hasn’t got the flower?). In the year 2012, determined to find them in bloom, I visited the spot much before the time of my previous year’s visit. Followed it with several visits in the coming weeks. Finally on a rainy day, with the Sun playing hide and seek, I got it in full bloom. As far as photography is concerned this is a very tricky flower to shoot, too much shadows are produced because of its peculiar shape. Finally after several shots and draining a huge number of batteries got this particular photograph. While returning I told to the bus owner, “bhai milgaya aach….!!!! (brother got it today). He was more happy than me.

Bulbophyllum scabratum Rchb.f.

Epiphyte as well as lithophyte. Always in clusters with pseudo-bulbs crowded together forming dense turfs. Bulbs very small, ovoid less than 1 cm long. Leaf solitary, linear-lanceolate, acute, the base narrowed to the petiole 5 to 8 cm long and less than 2 cm in width. Scape much shorter than the leaves, slender, erect, minutely bracteate, bearing at its apex 3 to 7 flowers in an umbel. Flowers bright yellow throughout with slight ocherous tinge here and there. Dorsal sepal free at its base from the lateral pair, very concave, vaulted over the column, ovate, shortly acuminate. The lateral pair much longer than the dorsal, linear lanceolate, partly coherent, the bases and apices free. Petals broadly ovate, acute. The margins of petals and sepals are teethed. Lip oblong, sub-acute, entire, fleshy, very concave near the base.

The Pursuit

A very small plant, found specially on rocks attracts attention with its cluster growing nature. Found few clusters on rocks and on trees around a sub-tropical habitat. Identified as Cirrhopetalum caespitosum, Wall. ex Lindl (Bulbophyllum scabratum Rchb.f.) with its cluster growing property. Waited till the summer months to document it in bloom. The route through its habitat was used frequently by me for other surveys in the region, so at least visited the plant twice a week during the summer months. After seeing them in buds, the anxiety level to shoot them in bloom made my visiting frequency go up. However, I never took more tension on this particular species as there were a few clusters around that region. If I miss one in bloom I can zero on another one. It started blooming by the mid Summer and initially it seems the flowers are very small, so waited for a full grown cluster to bear healthy flowers and got this wonderful photograph.

Bulbophyllum triste Reichb.

Epiphyte. Pseudo-bulbs turbinate with umbonate apices arranged at 1 to 3 cm apart on very thin naked rhizomes. Leaves two, sub-membranous, flaccid, narrowly oblong, tapering on both sides – to the acute apex and to the sub-sessile base, 5 to 8 cm long and 1.5 to 2 cm broad. Leaf less during flowering. Scape 6 to 8 cm long, the peduncle slender, erect with a few filiform bracteoles, twice as long as the drooping densely flowered raceme. Sepals purple with greenish margins. Dorsal sepal oblong, ovate blunt, concave. The lateral pair slightly longer, cohering at the tips and with margins incurved. Petals purple, almost triangular, mid nerved, much shorter than the sepals. Lip brownish red with a very narrow yellowish margin, stipitate, oblong-lanceolate. The flowers are of an unpleasant odour.

The Pursuit

The authors, Sir George King and Robert Pantling, wrote that, the collection of the species by them were the first of its kind from the region. Previously it was believed to be a native of Burma only. This doubled my interest to find the species from the region again. Its pseudo-bulb is something unusual in comparison to other Bulbophyllums. Keeping this in mind that, I searched hard for the species, especially in the tropical valleys but in vain. However, in the mid February of 2012, I stumbled up on a few leaf less pseudo-bulbs atop a tall tree near the valley. However, the bulbs were not the same as described by Sir George King and Robert Pantling in their book. Still I kept hope in those bulbs as Bulbophyllum triste, Reichb. However, the summer heat produced a forest fire and the whole area got burnt down. It was understood that the same species may be somewhere around also. The tropical torrid atmosphere coupled with windless river valleys stand as a big obstacle to do repeated tree climbings in that area. But luck was in my favour. One of my friend from the village while collecting leaves for his cattle flock found just one pseudo-bulb with a rather unusual long flower. He informed me over phone and next day I visited the place to see an unusually long raceme in full bloom. Documented it the best way I could.

Bulbophyllum polyrhizum Lindl.

Epiphyte. A very small plant with thread like branching rhizome and small globular to ovoid smooth pseudo-bulbs attached about 2 to 3 cm apart. Leaf solitary, narrowly oblong, sub-acute, narrowed to the sessile base, leaf less during flowering, and as long as 4 to 6 cm and less than 1 cm in breadth. Scape filiform, about 7 to 10 cm long, its peduncle sub-erect, longer than the raceme, with a couple of minute bracteoles. Raceme inclined, with 4 to 6 distantly arranged pale yellow coloured flowers. Sepals spreading, sub-acute, the dorsal ovate; the lateral pair longer, oblong-lanceolate, three nerved. Petals shorter than the sepals, acute. Lip stipitate, deflexed from the base, oblong, obtuse, the basal half grooved.

The Pursuit

This species got a lot of biological attention as a century ago. Wallichi’s drawing from a specimen from Nepal; other specimens collected from Dehradun; specimens collected by Lister and J.D.Hooker’s descriptions showing variations. However, Pantling got a few specimens from Sikkim-Himalayas and he made the drawings for the monumental publication. As the referral book got an excellent drawing of a specimen from Sikkim-Himalayas, I put extra efforts to find it from the region again. This is a very small plant and leaf less during flowering season makes it very difficult to spot it. However, the mention of the month of its blooming helped me to track it down. I was in search of a variety of Dendrobium nobile Lindl from the Teesta valley at a very low altitude in the summer months. I got a bunch of almost dried orchid bulbs attached to a thin rhizome from a broken trunk of a fallen tree. The branched rhizome and small globular pseudo-bulbs prompted me to pull out my referral books to cross check it. While cross checking, I zeroed on Bulbophyllum polyrhizum Lindl. Next day, again went to that region with another friend, a nice tree climber, and climbed up most of the trees of that region. Finally in the afternoon, we found this rare species, with all its leaves shed and in buds. Cross checked again and again with Pantling’s drawings to make sure that it is what we were searching for. Finally, after 6 days of waiting and repeatedly climbing the tree every day, those buds bloomed to put the final seal on its identity.

Bulbophyllum affine Lindl.

Epiphyte. Psuedo-bulbs cylindric with thickened base, 3 to 5cm long, attached 2 to 3 cm apart. Rhizome long and densely rooting. Leave single, narrowly oblong, obtuse, the base narrowed, 7 to 12 cm long and 2 to 4 cm in breadth. Scape short and bracteate, producing a single flower from either the sides of the base of the pseudo-bulbs or from the rhizome between the pseudo-bulbs. Flowers pale yellow to green base with purple nerves, lip with purple margins. Sepals sub-equal, lanceolate, sub-acute, five nerved, lateral pair falcate. Petals lanceolate, shorter than the sepals, three nerved. Lip shorter than the petals, lanceolate, thickened and concave at the base.

The Pursuit

Relatively a common species of the tropical region. Plant can easily be spotted on most of the trees, fully covering the trunk, from the bottom to top. On the onset of summer rains, this species starts blooming. I had always noticed that, choosing a flower to photograph from many is a very difficult task. When in plenty, the best will always elude. Tried several flowers only to find that lip broken, sepals marked with dust, petals twisted…….!!!!! Finally got this particular shot from a flower suggested by my friend who accompanied me to the location. Documented nicely, with several lighting options to get the perfect shot I dreamt for.

Habenaria malintana (Blanco) Merr.

Terrestrial. Whole plant about 30 to 65 cm in height. Lower part of stem sheathed, middle leafy and upper part bracteate. Leaves 4 to 6 cm long, oblong to elliptic, 5 nerved, the base of the leaf narrowed into a long tubular sheath. Spike 4 to 7 cm long, laxly flowered. Sepals sub-equal, broadly ovate, acute, spreading, the lateral pair sub-erect. Petals narrowly oblong, sub-acute, curved inwards, shorter than the sepals. Lip as long as the sepals, lanceolate, always curved upwards. Spur totally absent. Stigmas united.

The Pursuit

As this species is a look alike of Habenaria dentata var. dentata, it was very difficult to distinguish them without flowers. Repeatedly visited the area, every other day, trekking around 12 km. In the end, spurless buds came confirming it as Habenaria malintana, (Blanco) Merr. Then came the obstacle in the form of a land slide which brought the vehicular movement in that region to a standstill. Took the help of villagers in finding an alternative route across the river, using bamboos, ropes etc. Frequenting to there every other day became a huge hazard and decided to camp there for the bloom. This time the buds behaved nicely, they bloomed much before than expected and got the photographs of the species in bloom for the first time from the region.

Corybas himalaicus (King & Pantl.) Schltr

A small plant of the height 4 to 5 cm. Stem glabrous, with a single sheath near its base. Leaves solitary, 1 to 1.5 cm long, sessile, just under the flower, green with many white nerves. Flower solitary, dorsal sepal blunt, concave, arching over the column and the basal half of the lip, lateral pair short, filiform, lying between the two spurs of the lip. Petals none. Lip oblong, longer than the dorsal sepal, the basal portion convolute, with two short cylindric straight spurs at the base.

This species is the only orchid with no petals from the region of Sikkim-Himalayas.

: Corysanthes himalaica, King and Pantling (Corybas himalaicus, King and Panting (Schltr))

The Pursuit

Sir George King and Robert Pantling in their monumental work, “The Orchids of the Sikkim-Himalayas”, published in the year 1898, described this plant. They found it from Lam-teng in the Lachen Valley at an altitude of 9000 ft, from a vertical moist rock. Part of my research work, I surveyed all the areas of Lam-teng, which is mostly of very difficult terrain, with high rocky mountains on one side of the river and dense forests on the other. The mention of “moist vertical rock” by Sir George King and Robert Pantling made me search and survey all the vertical rocks especially those on the banks of the river. After a search of 18 days, I finally found the plant from a moist vertical rock itself, probably the same place from where Sir George King and Robert Pantling found it some 125 years ago!!!!!