Saving Wild Orchids in Colombo

The writer was happy to read the contribution in The Island of 25 March 2021 of Mr. Tilak Fernando on the subject of ‘Saving trees of Colombo’, and his advice on the modern machinery available to the CMC to trim trees, which pose a public hazard.

One point, however, needs to be made, which Mr. Fernando’s contribution helps to draw attention to. Some plants, such as Cuscuta or dodder (of which over 201 species are known), grow on other plants and are parasitic. Others, such as all orchid plants, are not parasites but ‘epiphytes’. Some of the plants growing on the trees of Colombo are wild orchids. These include species of Vanda, Saccolabium, Dendrobium and Cymbidium.

Wild orchids are highly adaptable and are found all over the world except in a few extremely inhospitable locations, such as those covered permanently in ice. No orchid plant (wild or cultivated) in the world is a parasite. Some grow on trees to get access to sunlight and fresh air, and absorb nutrients from rainwater running down the bark of the tree. They are referred to as ‘epiphytes’ (i.e. lodged on other plants). Others are classed as ‘lithophytes’ (growing on rocks or boulders, often in the humid conditions near streams), ‘terrestrials’ or ‘saprophytes’ (growing on decaying matter, such as is found on forest floors).

There are some 167 indigenous species of orchids in Sri Lanka of which some 76 are ‘endemic’. They have evolved, scattered throughout the various regions of Sri Lanka. Please see the following paper for a detailed discussion: R. H. Wickramasinghe, “Distribution of the indigenous orchids of Sri Lanka and some proposals for their conservation”, In: Proceedings, UNESCO – MAB (Sri Lanka Committee) and Natural Resources, Energy and Science Authority Regional Seminar on “Forests of the Humid Tropics of South and SouthEast Asia “, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 19-22 March 1996, edited by Prof. B. A. Abeywickreme, printed by the National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka (1999) pp. 49-54.

Before the CMC teams bring down branches, bearing epiphytic orchid plants, they need to identify locations to which these plants could be transferred to. These include considerations of climate. (Such considerations will, also, improve the chances of suitable pollinators of the relevant species of orchid flowers being present.) The late Lyn de Alwis, Director of the Zoological Gardens, indicated to the writer that he would be happy to allow ‘homeless’ indigenous orchid plants, resulting from jungle clearings (for chena cultivations), to be accommodated in the Gardens. Dr. Siran Deraniyagala, former Commissioner of Archaeology, was also agreeable to accommodate ‘homeless’ indigenous orchid plants, resulting from tree felling for road widening, etc., on archaeological sites.

The indigenous orchid plants, of this country, are protected by the laws of the land. It would be desirable if courses on the protected plants of Sri Lanka could be given to law enforcement agencies (e.g. police, wildlife protection officials) and in schools, etc. The Orchid Specialist Group (OSG) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), of which this writer is a member, is dismayed by the pressures on wild orchids worldwide. Sri Lanka’s efforts in contributing to the conservation of wild orchids will be greatly appreciated.

Dr. ROHAN H WICKRAMASINGHE