Native Orchids of Hkakaborazi National Park
 World
Orchidologists and orchid hunters
have been interested in and
recording Myanmar’s orchid species
since the nineteenth century. Among
these researchers, Reverend Parish,
Dr.Helfer, Dr.Griffith, Sir William
Hooker and Professor H.B.
Reichenbach have carried out much
research and written about their
findings. In 1895, Captain Bartle
Grant compiled all the papers about
Myanmar orchids written by various
writers and published a book called
“Orchids of Burma”. Starting in
1914, the well known botanist and
naturalist F. Kingdon Ward conducted
several floristic surveys in Kachin
State. He discovered many new orchid
species in the northernmost part of
Myanmar. In 1920, he discovered a
new species of terrestrial orchid in
the Nomung area. Later, that orchid
was botanically named Paphiopedilum
wardii in honoured of him. Local
native called this orchid, ‘the
Black orchid’ because o the dark
maroon colour of its flowers. The
Nomung area is the only place in the
world where the black orchid is
found.
During the expeditions, the
botanists climbed up to about 1,219
m in the mountain that provide the
habitat for the black orchid; they
took photographs and collected some
sample plants as well. The black
orchid grows well in the leaf humus
on the rock ridges as well as under
the small bushes in low light
conditions and it was learned from
the local people that it blooms from
December to February. Most of the
black orchids collected were
nurtured successfully in the
PyinOoLwin Research Nursery, which
is located 914 m above sea level.
Here the weather is cool and mild
and very similar to that which
occurs where the black orchid grows
naturally. Nearly all the plants
flowered in Januert-February 1998.
Other interesting Myanmar orchid
species were also collected and
nurtured in Pyin-Oo-Lwin.
Terrestrial orchids were also
observed growing about 2, 133m; at
this height large trees are rarely
seen.
On the first expedition, due to
heavy rain, time restriction and
period in which the expedition took
place (off season), not as many
orchid species as expected were
collected. However the habitat of
Paphiopedilum wardii was studied
extensively and recorded, and
Cymbidium eburnean, native to
Myanmar, was recorded for this time.
Seventeen orchid species were
recorded in this expedition. (Shown
in Appendix III)
On the Nomung expedition, the
botanists collected and studied some
39 orchid species. (Shown in
Appendix IV)
The growing and propagation
conditions of the endemic
Paphiopedilum wardii were studied in
detail.
Although the orchids listed below
had previously been recorded as
growing in Myanmar, this was the
first time they had been recorded as
true natives.
- Bulbophyllum odoratissimuim
- Dendrobium brymerianum
- dendrobium linguella
- phalaenopsis parishii
- dendrobium transparens
The following orchids were recorded
for the first time (they are native
to Myanmar).
- Epipogium roseum
- Micropera rostrata
- Pholidota chinensis
On the Hkakaborazi National Park
expedition 2000, 14 orchid species
were collected.
(Shown in Appendix
V)
The following orchids were recorded
for the first time for Myanmar:
- Cymbidium iridioides
- Dendrobium moliniforme
Many orchid fruits containing seed
were also collected and grown in the
laboratory for further propagation.
Some rare and endangered orchid
species that had been collected were
propagated in the laboratory using
tissue culture technique. Promising
result was obtained.
Discussion for Future Research
- On the Hkakaborazi expedition, as
a result of collective endeavour,
the blue sheep, the black
barking
deer and the little leaf Munjac were
discovered. In addition, the team
took the opportunity
to observe the
rapid development of a national park
from protected area.
- On the second expedition, the
little leaf Munjac, rare orchids and
birds were observed. In addition
to
examining the existing condition of Hkakaborazi National Park, and
assessment was made of the
conservation measures required for
the park.
- Some Myanmar orchid species,
including Dendrobium cruentum,
Renanthera inschootiana, and all
Paphiopedilum sp. are listed in
Appendix I of ‘The Convention on
International Trade in
Endangered
Species of the Wild Flora and Fauna
as World Endangered Orchid Species’
(CITES).
- It was learned that five years
previously some traders from China
came and purchased
Cymbidium orchid
in the Hkakaborazi area. However the
expedition found no evidence of the
collection and sale of orchids on
large scale. It was noticed that
small numbers of black orchid,
having been collected by local
people, were being sold in the Nomung Market place and being
given
to visitors as mementoes.
Considering the long-term interests
of this rare orchid, the local
people should be given and
educational talk on orchids asking
for their cooperation in this
conservation.
- The season in which the
expeditions took place was not the
flowering season. If it had been,
more
orchid species would have been
collected.
- The expeditions established that
there is an abundance of naturally
occur-ring orchid species in
the Hkakaborazi area. It is necessary to
monitor the growth, propagation and
estimated numbers
of these species.
Orchid expedition(s) could take
place separately or with other
expeditions.
Through the joint endeavours of internal and external
scientists, we could exchange
practical
experiences and the
internal scientists could acquire
knowledge on orchids of an
international
standard.
- Hkakaborazi National Park has
great potential to be upgraded from
a National Park to a World
Heritage
site.
- An education centre should be
established in Hkakaborazi National
Park, with an exhibition for the
public providing information about
orchid of the area. A model orchid
garden with the orchid
species of Hkakaborazi area could also be made.
- Because there are evergreen
rainforests, mountains over 3,048m
and subtropical forests in
Hkakaborazi, there is wide variety
of orchids to be studied. As well as
botanical and orchid
expeditions,
educational tours could also be
organized in the area.
- There might be new and unrecorded
orchid species still waiting to be
discovered in Hkakaborazi
National
Park. It is recommended that
cooperative expedition and research
programme, involving
local
scientists and knowledgeable
scientists from abroad, be organized
in the area to search for
any rare,
undiscovered Myanmar orchids.
Bibliography
Agricultural Regulatory Division
(1997) Manual for Identification of
Thai Orchids. Bangkok: Department of
Agriculture
Dressler, R.L. (1927) The Orchids:
Natural History and Classification
Grant, B. (1895) The Orchids of
Burma (Including the Andarman
Islands), Rangoon; Central Press
(reprinted 1966)
Hooker, J.D. (1885) The Flora of
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L.Reeve and Co.,Ltd.
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List of Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and
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Rangoon: Swe Daw Oo Press
IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group
(1996) Orchids-Status Survey and
Conservation Action Plan. Glan,
Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUNCN.
SSC
Ward, F.K. (1932) Explorations on
the Burma-Tibet Frontier, pp,
465-483
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Journal, 9:74-88
Ward, F.K. (1949) Burma’s Icy
Mountains. London: Alden Press
Reich, B.F. (1873) Enumeration of
the Orchids Collected by Revenrend
E.C. Parish in the Neighbourhood of
Moulmein. Place and Publish not
given.
Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (1995)
CITES Orchid Checklist, Vol. 1 and 2
Siedenfaden, G.; Wood, J.J. (1992)
The orchids of Peninsular Malaysia
and Singapore. Fredensborg, Denmark:
Olsen and Olsen
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