The wild orchids' eden

[kuching]

My heart was stopped pumping when I finally saw the wild slipper orchid, Paphiopedilum bullenianum for the first time in my life!!! Oh my goodness....I couldn't believe myself that this slipper orchid is so hard to find but then it grows abundantly in the Kerangas forest !!! I was stunned......and stood there for a few minutes to look at this beautiful orchid. I was in the wild orchid's eden.


About 4 years ago, a group of hikers exploring & hiking in the Kerangas forest near Kuching. Unexpectedly, they found a big population of slipper orchids growing in a secret spot. They sworn that the secret location of the orchid should remain a secret forever. However, some broke the promises and returned to the site and collected ALL the slipper orchids on that site!!! Some people are really selffish and DO NOT KNOW what is called conservation.

When my friend told me about the story, I believed there must be some plants growing near the site. So, we went to the location at somewhere that I never been before....it's another paradise on earth!


The entrance of "Jurassic Park":





The crystal clear water inside the secret paradise on earth:

[kuching]

The lake in the middle of nowhere.




The jungle stream and the Kerangas forest:




The slipper orchid is one of the most beautiful orchids. Too bad it's not the flowering season when we re-discovered it again:






The under part of the leaf is purple coloured:





More photos will be posted in the forum soon.

[kuching]

It was a cloudy day when my friend brought me to a secret garden where not many people ever visited before. The whole area is covered by almost undisturbed Kerangas forest.

The scenary:





The water from the jungle stream is filling up this lake:




A cascade:

[kuching]

An unopened pitcher of Nepenthes gracilis:




Nepenthes ampullaria.....the most common pitcher plant in this area;





Nepenthes rafflesiana (lower pitcher)





Nepenthes x hookeriana, a natural cross hybrid species:

[kuching]

I think this one is natural cross hybrid between N. mirabilis with N. rafflesiana




The leaf of cross hybrid; N. mirabilis with N. rafflesiana



Cross hybrid; N. mirabilis with N. rafflesiana

[kuching]

The trees in Kerangas forest are mostly not very tall:





Found Hoya sp. for the first time! Hoya is a vine which very beautiful flowers called umbels.





The first orchid I found is this small terrestrial orchid which has very tiny white inflrescence:




The inflorescence;

[kuching]

A common terrestrial orchid from Kerangas forest, Spathoglottis plicata:





A single leaf plant....I think this is an orchid! I'm still waiting expert to give the name of this plant....






It grows on the mossy area & on the leaf litter, together with slipper orchid:

[kuching]

Another unidentified species of orchid with tiny inflorescence:





A bigger orchid (less than a metre tall) but the inflorescence is very small:




The beauty; slipper orchid growing under a small tree on the leaf litter (under the shade):

[Justikanz]

This is interesting... I am learning more and more about orchids everyday...

But how are the plants categorised as orchids?

[kuching]

This is interesting... I am learning more and more about orchids everyday...

But how are the plants categorised as orchids?

I don't know how to answer this.....maybe u can search the info in internet.

[kuching]

More photos of another secret paradise on earth; here:



http://www.ibanorum.netfirms.com/slipperorkid.htm

[kuching]

UPDATING....

This orchid is probably a new species, Spiranthes sp.





Single leaf orchid is Nervillea borneesis.






Oberonia sp.




The slipper orchid is 100% confirmed = Paphiopedilum bullenianum .
According to an expert, it is unusual to find this orchid in the Kerangas forest.