Bukit Barisan selatan National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia

Workers culitivating coffee illegally in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park photo by Kathleen Sullivan

Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park covers a total area of 3,568 km² (881,668.5 acres) on the southern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia stretching from Tanggamus and West Lampung regencies in Lampung to Kaur regency in Bengkulu. It started as a Wildlife Sancutary in 1935 becoming a National Park in 1982. The national park is part of the a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra. It represents a signifigant natural habitat for in situ conservation because of its large diversity of flora, fauna and ongoing ecological and biological processes. It is home to a variety of wildlife including 118 mammals, 425 birds, 45 amphibians and reptiles and 51 fish species. It also contains around 200 species of tree, 126 orchids, 15 species of bamboo, and 44 undergrowth species. The Sumatran tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, and striped rabbit are some of the unique and endangered animal species found in the park. Besides its abundance in flora and fauna, the park is also blessed with a number of fascinating natural beauty spots, including its four lakes, four waterfalls, seven natural caves and 23 river basin areas.

Coffee and lumber are two of the largest export products from Sumatra, Indonesia. The park has lost 20% of its forest to illegal coffee growing. The World Wildlife Fund has found that more than 450 km² of Bukit Barisan Selatan park land is being used for growing coffee, producing over 19,600 tons. The coffee is then mixed in with legally grown Sumatra coffee and sold to the world market. Indonesia is the 4th largest producer of coffee and the 2nd largest of robusta coffee. Robusta coffee is the coffee found in the major brands in your grocery store. Vietnam is 1st in both. Madagascar is also a major producer.

Over 50% of the island of Sumatra's forest has been cut down. In Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park the Lampung chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) records that around 50 percent of the park area has been damaged, while the Lampung Forest Conservation Consortium (KKHL) claims 60 percent of the park area has been destroyed.

73% of the the lumber is illegally cut down. The illegal lumbering is the root cause for flooding and landslides hitting Sumatra and Indonesia as a whole. From illegal-logging.info: " In some provinces, notably Riau, police investigations have shown that logging companies have somehow managed to obtain licences from the local authorities to cut down trees in protected rainforests... The inability of the authorities to rein in the loggers has been variously ascribed to a shortage of forestry officials, collusion between police and logging companies, and corrupt judges."

Current predictions (2008) are 70% of the park will devoted to coffee growing, forested or settlements by the end of 2010. There are currently around 15,600 squatter homes in the area.

Elephants of the Flying Squad escorting a baby elephant out the park after being found alone. Its mother had been poached. The use of domestic elephants to lead a baby elephant out of the wild is less tramatizing to them then humans capturing the baby elephant.

Sumatra, Indonesia is the 6th largest island in the world, 1100 miles long, 270 miles wide at its widest point with 986 orchid species.

Gardening Orchid

Orchids are one of the most beautiful flowers and growing orchids in your house or greenhouse is sure going to be a nice experience. As orchids are very sensitive flowers, these orchid gardening tips will help you in growing beautiful orchids in your house. You need to be careful while gardening orchids as even a little carelessness may destroy your plant.

There are different types of orchids. You should know the exact type of Orchid for proper Orchid gardening. Temperature plays an important role in orchid gardening and if you know the right species of orchid you are growing then you can control the temperature accordingly. The ideal temperature for most of the species of orchids is between 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Proper watering is also necessary for proper and smooth orchid gardening. Excess watering may also kill the orchid roots and destroy your plant. The frequency of watering orchid plants depends upon the temperature and the species of orchids. Generally, orchid plants need watering once in every 10 days.

Applying proper fertilizers to your plants also plays an important role in orchid gardening. Orchid plants need fertilizers once every month. Proper fertilizers boost the growth of your plant and will result in growing beautiful Orchids while any laxity in applying fertilizers may hamper the growth of your plant and may inhibit flowers from growing. However, applying excess fertilizers may also burn the leaves and roots, so proper attention must be paid to the quantity of fertilizer applied.

Orchid gardening norms also require that proper light must be provided to the plant in order to produce beautiful flowers. Few of the species or Orchids require less light and it is recommended to move those plants away from the window or place them in the northeast side window so that they get less light. The amount of light an Orchid plant is getting can be judged by the color of the leaves which should be ideally bright green. In case they are dark green it implies that they are getting less light and if the leaves are reddish green it shows that they are getting extra light.

In Vitro, Orchid Cultivation

by : Peter Croezen, Green Canyon Orchids

It takes from six months to one year for an orchid seed capsule to mature. It is not uncommon for a seed capsule to contain 10,000 to 100,000 seeds. Some seed capsules may contain as many as 3,000,000 seeds. Orchid seeds are very transparent and very small, tiny specs, at times barely visible to the human eye. Seeds having the possibility for growth are said to be viable. A viable seed must contain an embryo, but the presence of an embryo in a seed is no guarantee that it is viable. Seeds may be checked for embryo presence, or absence, by placing them under a microscope.
From Seed to Community Pot

Orchid seeds have only minute reserves of nutrients and need a fungus for germination in nature, this is called "symbiotic" germination. The required nutrients are provided by the fungus. Growth of seedlings is rapid. Until 1922, it was the only known method of propagating orchids from seeds.

In 1922, Dr. Lewis Knudson of Cornell University provided us with a simpler method, "asymbiotic germination." Seeds are germinated and seedlings are grown on a sterile, jelly like, culture medium containing sugars and many other nutrients. Germination takes place without the aid of a fungus. Today, Knudson's formula "C" medium is still being used in laboratories all over the world. Since unwanted bacteria and fungi grow even faster on a sugar rich medium than orchid seedlings, all seeds, flasks, medium, and tools used must be sterilized. All the work involved, like sowing, transferring seedlings etc, is performed in a sterile environment, such as a laminar flow hood or a glovebox.

Sowing of orchid seeds in a "mother flask" is done in a sterile environment, like a laminar flow hood. Filtered through a HEPA filter, sterile air enters the cabinet and passes over the work area. Sowing of seeds is a simple procedure. Germination medium is prepared and poured into clean flasks. Flasks with medium are then autoclaved at 120º Celsius and 15 lbs. pressure for 20 minutes if small quantities of medium per flasks; longer for larger quantities. Cooled flasks are moved into the laminar flowhood where sterilized seeds are distributed evenly on top of the medium. Flasks are tightly sealed and may have a filter to allow air and moisture exchange between inside and outside. The filter must be dense enough to keep micro organisms out. The latter would spoil the germination process. Flasks are then placed under fluorescent lights for a 12 hour photoperiod, for most epiphytic species. Some orchid seeds need total darkness to germinate. After two to three months in the "mother flask", seedlings are large enough to be transferred to a richer medium and larger vessel. The transfer process is called replating.

Replating, or moving seedlings from the old vessel to another with fresh medium, is done in a sterile environment. Seedlings are replated when they have reached a stage of growth at which they will greatly benefit from being placed on nutrient richer medium. Seedlings will now grow very rapidly and usually remain in these flasks for approximately one year, or until they are large enough to be planted out to a community pot.

The community pot may hold from fifteen to 30 seedlings. Plants may spend up to one year in the community pot, before being transplanted to individual pots. After several more transplants and lots of tender loving care in years following, the orchids reach the "flowering size" stage, finally! From seed to flowering plant takes from three to seven years, depending on which orchid species seeds were sown.
Caring for Flasks

It is fun and educational watching orchids grow inside flasks. Flasked seedlings need light/dark, proper temperature and humidity. Handle flasks by grasping them near the bottom, away from the foil covered filtered top. Covered filter tops keep out micro organisms that could spoil the contents when allowed to enter the flasks.

Never place flasks in direct sunlight, unless you wish to cook the seedlings.The light should be of low intensity, 300 footcandles, gradually increased as seedlings grow bigger. Place them 30 centimeters below two four foot cool white 40 Watt fluorescent lamps that cover a growing area of two by four feet. Lights must be on 12 hours per day. Remember that 12 hours uninterrupted darkness is equally important for seedling development.

Temperatures in the 24º C (75º F) range are adequate, give or take 2º C. Keep the variation between day and night time temperatures to an absolute minimum.

Flasks that have filtered tops allow air and humidity exchange of the inside with the environment in which they are placed.To prevent the culture medium from drying out, place flasks in an environment where the relative humidity is about 60%. Keep air movement in the flasking area to a minimum. No fans!

A "flask" of small seedlings, almost ready to be compotted.
This replate of seedlings is nearly ready to be compotted. Photo by Joseph Dougherty.
Deflasking Seedlings

Seedlings stay in replate flasks for about one year, but can stay longer if the medium has not yet been depleted of necessary nutrients. Seedlings are deflasked, when leaves are at least 5 centimeters long, cleaned of all agar and transplanted to a community pot.

Pour some tepid water into the flasks and carefully swirl it to break up the agar. A spatula may be used to gently aid the breakup. Pour water and seedling mix into a bowl half filled with tepid water. Rinse seedling roots and leaves free of agar. Submerge the seedlings for about ten minutes in a weak systemic fungicide solution, like Benomyl, then place them on paper towels to dry.
Preparing Community Pots

Use a well drained, clean pot and line the bottom with drainage material. Fill the pot to within one inch from the rim with damp, loosely packed sphagnum moss. Wrap the roots of a dry seedling loosely with the same damp sphagnum moss and place the "package" in the pot. Repeat the process until the pot is filled with seedling packages touching each other. Finish by filling gaps between seedlings and pot edge with some loose sphagnum. Write the proper orchid name plus the "compot date" on plant labels and put one label in every pot.
Taking Care of Community Pot Seedlings

Seedlings deflasked have come from a 100% relative humidity environment inside the flask. Do not shock them by moving them to a 50 or 60% immediately, but rather do it gradually. This can be done by placing the pots in a tray covered with a clear plastic dome with top vents closed, which over a period of time can be gradually opened. Keep the pots about 30 cm below two 40W fluorescent lamps, as desribed above for flask lighting. Keep temperatures around the 24º C. Prevent seedling medium from drying out, but do not have it soaking wet and cause root rot. Start a regular watering program right away; fertilizing program in one or two weeks from compotting date.

How to Grow Orchid

Flickingeria fimbriata (Blume) A.D. Hawkes 1961

Common Name The Fringed Flickingeria - in Thailand Kut hin

Flower Size 1 to 2" [2.5 cm to 5 cm]

Found in the Chinese Himalayas, Assam, eastern Himalayas, India, Nepal, Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands, Penninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands and the Philippines on open rocks and bluffs along streams and rivers in lowland evergreen and medium elevation semi-deciduous forests at elevations of 200 to 1300 meters as a large sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with long, stout branching rhizome with compressed, freely branching stems giving rise to yellow, compressed, pseudobulbs carrying oblong-elliptic, acute leaves that blooms in the spring, summer and fall on a single flowered inflorescence with sweetly scented, short-lived flowers.

Synonyms Callista binnendykii (Rchb.f.) Kuntze 1891; Callista flabella [Rchb.f]Kuntze 1891; Callista kunstleri (Hook.f.) Kuntze 1891; Callista macraei (Lindl.) Kuntze. 1891; Dendrobium binnendijkii Rchb.f. 1865; Dendrobium fimbriatum [Bl.] Lindl. 1830; Dendrobium flabellum Rchb.f 1857; Dendrobium insulare Steudel 1840; Dendrobium kunstleri Hook.f. 1890; Dendrobium macraei Lindl. 1830; Dendrobium mentosum Schltr. 1911; Dendrobium plicatile Lindl. 1840; Dendrobium rabanii Lindl. 1859; Desmotrichum binnendijkii (Rchb.f.) Kraenzl. 1910; *Desmotrichum fimbriatum Blume 1825; Desmotrichum kunstleri (Hook.f.) Kraenzl. 1910; Ephemerantha fimbriata (Blume) P.F. Hunt & Summerh. 1961; Ephemerantha kunstleri (Hook.f.) P.F.Hunt & Summerh. 1961; Ephemerantha macraei (Lindl.) P.F.Hunt & Summerh. 1961; Flickingeria binnendijkii (Rchb.f.) A.D.Hawkes 1965; Flickingeria kunstleri (Hook.f.) A.D.Hawkes 1965; Flickingeria rabanii (Lindl.) Seidenf. 1980

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Dendrobium binnendijkii Drawing fide; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Dendrobium flabellum fide; Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/1995 as D macraei; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Sm. 1905 as Dendrobium flabellum; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Sm. 1905 as Dendrobium macraei; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1959 as Dendrobium fimbriatum drawing, photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 7 1978 as Dendrobium fimbriatum; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 7 1978 as Dendrobium plicatile; Orchidiana Philipiniana Vol 1 Valmayor 1984; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 No 3 1985; Orchids of Java Comber 1990; The Orchids of Pennisular Malaysia and Singapore Wood & Seidenfaden 1992; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; Lindleyana Vol 15 No 4 2000; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001; Orchid Flora of Kamrup District Assam Iswar Chandra Barua 2001 as F macraei; A Field Guide to the Wild Orchids of Thailand Vaddhanaphuti 2001; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002 as F binnendijkii; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006

Dendrobium crumenatum Swartz 1799

Common Name The Purse-Shaped Dendrobium - The Pigeon Orchid - The Bag-Shaped Dendrobium [refers to the saccate mentum]

Flower Size 2" or less [5 cm or less]

Commonly called the pigeon orchid, it is found in Chinese Himalayas, Taiwan, India, Sri Lankha, Andaman Islands, Myanamar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas,Sulawesi, Sumatra, New Guinea, Christmas Islands and the Philippines in semi-deciduous and deciduous dry lowland forests and savana-like woodlands at an altitude of sealevel to 500 meters and grows small to large sized, warm to hot, best mounted on wood with spindle shaped, swollen basally for a few nodes, ridged, yellow with age stems that can branch, carrying, 4 to 19, thick, leathery, eventually deciduous leaves that will flower on the upper nodes of the leafless older canes with several to many fragrant flowers, albeit for only a few hours, after a temperature drop and rain. It has a tendency to keiki and when there are 2 small pseudobulbs and a third starting they can be broken away from the old pseudobulb and mounted to a small branch. Thsi species is often found in conjunction with ants and may benefit from their presence.

In Malacca, a state within Penninsular Malaysia the pounded leaves are applied to pimples and boils as a curative.

In Java the fruits of this species along with fruits [not necassarily all together] from Plocoglottis javanica, Bulbophyllum vaginatum and Hippeophyllum scortechnii; are boiled and the juice is applied into ones ears for an earache

Also in Java the flowers are ground to make a material to use for those with cholera.

Synonyms *Angraecum crumenatum Rhump.; Aporum crumenatum (Sw.) Brieger 1981; Aporum ephemerum (J.J.Sm.) Rauschert 1983; Aporum kwashotense (Hayata) Rauschert 1983; Aporum papilioniferum (J.J.Sm.) Rauschert 1983; Aporum scalpelliforme (Teijsm. & Binn.) Rauschert 1983; Callista crumenatum [Sw.] O.Ktze. 1891; Ceraia ephemera (J.J.Sm.) M.A.Clem. 2003; Ceraia papilionifera (J.J.Sm.) M.A.Clem. 2003; Ceraia parviflora (Ames & C.Schweinf.) M.A.Clem. 2003; Ceraia simplicissima Lour. 1791; Dendrobium caninum Merr. 1921; Dendrobium ceraia Lindley 1830; Dendrobium coninum Sw. ?; Dendrobium crumenatum var. parviflora Ames & C.Schweinf. in ?; Dendrobium cumulatum Krzl not Lindley ?; Dendrobium ephemerum (J.J.Sm.) J.J.Sm. in E.D.Merrill 1917; Dendrobium kwashotense Hayata 1914; Dendrobium papilioniferum J.J.Sm. 1905; Dendrobium papilioniferum var. ephemerum J.J.Sm 1905; Dendrobium schmidtianum Krzl. 1902; Dendrobium simplicissimum [Loureiro]Kraenzlin 1910; Epidendrum caninum Burm. f. 1768; Epidendrum ceraia Raeusch. 1797; Onychium crumenatum [Sw] Blume 1825

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Burma Grant 1895/1995; Die Orchideen Von Java J.J.Sm. 1905; AOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 4 1959; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1959 drawing as D schmidtianum; The Orchids of Thailand Seidenfaden & Smitinand 1959 drawing photo fide; Orquideologia Vol 12 3/4 1977/8; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 6 1978; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 5 1978 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 3 1979 photo; Orchids of Java Comber 1990; A Checklist of the Orchids of Borneo Wood & Cribb 1994; Orchid Australia Vol 12 No 1 2000 photo; Orchids of Sumatra Comber 2001; The Orchids of the Philippines Cootes 2001; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002; Lindleyana Vol 17 No 1 2002 as D ephemerum; Flora Malesiana Orchids of the Philippines Vol I Agoo, Shuiteman and de Vogel 2003; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 8 2004; The Dendrobiums H. P. Wood 2006

Dendrobium capra J.J. Sm. 1910

Common Name The Goat-Like Dendrobium [refers to the erect petals]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in the Lesser Sunda Islands and Eastern Java at lower elevations as a miniature to medium sized, hot to warm growing epipihyte with erect, somewhat fractiflex, dull green, centrally swollen canes carry 4 to 7, linear-lanceolate, acute leaves that are shiney green and when young may have black spots that blooms in the fall and early winter on an axillary, 4 to 12" [10 to 31 cm] long, laxly flowered inflorescence carrying 5 to 20 flowers. This species needs a dry winter rest for 1 to 2 months and fertilizer should be withheld until the spring.

Synonyms Cepobaculum capra (J.J.Sm.) M.A.Clem. & D.L.Jones 2002

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 51 No 2 1982 photo; Orchid Species Culture Dendrobium Bakers 1996; Orchids of Java Comber 1990