Download ORNAMENTAL ORCHIDS

Many plants, particularly those produced in the tropical forests of the region, like orchids, palms, and
pitcher plants, are prized throughout the world for their aesthetic qualities. Ferns, flowers, leaves, bark,
seeds and other colorful, aromatic or symbolic plant materials are used fresh or processed (e.g. in
paints or dyes) for personal adornment, ceremonial functions or artistic creations. Ornamental plants
are the basis of a multimillion dollar export trade centered in Singapore. Orchids constitute the most
valuable component of the trade. The family Orchidaceae has numerous representatives found
throughout the region. For instance, over 900 species have been recorded in Thailand. Although
nursery-bred specimens make up the bulk of this trade, the forest is still the original source. In addition
to collection for commercial purposes, very rare and valuable species are smuggled from forests by
specialist traders (de Beer and McDermott, 1989; Iqbal, 1995)
Medicine: rhizomes
Ornamental: whole plant
Epiphytic orchids
Dendrobium nobile Lindl.
Noble dendrobium
Dok euang
In Indochina, China and Thailand around 900-1,400 species of Dendrobium exists commonly named
shih-hu in Chinese. Different species have different medicinal qualities. Large quantities are exported to
China from other parts of Indochina. Exact export figures are not known well as they are also part of
other exported medicinal plants.
Only some of them, especially the Eugenanthe, provide the drug Shihhu in its various forms. The
frequently used Shih-hu includes such orchids as Chin chai Shih-hu (Golden Hairpin Dendrobium), Er
Huan Shih-hu (Earring Dendrobium), Ma poen Shih-hu (Horse Whip Dendrobium), Huan tsao Shih-hu
(Yellow Herb, Dendrobium), and Yu kue Shih-hu (Melon Flickingeria). Among them, the Er Huan Sh ihhu (Earr ing Dendrobium), is used as a stomachic in Japan, to treat night sweats in Taiwan, to fortify a
person’s body, to strengthen the kidneys and to cure impotence. In Korea this species is also employed
against impotence, and the entire plant was used as an anti-pyretic, tonic, and peptic. Plants imported
into Malaysia by Chinese herbalists are credited as having tonic, stomachic, pectoral, and antiphlogistic
properties.
By far the most commonly used species in the preparation of Shih-hu is Dendrobium nobile Lindl. This
variety has been valued greatly in China since the Han dynasty (200 BC to 200 AD).
Other species are difficult to identify when traded. On the Champasak Lao-Thai border Dendrobium
leonis (ketlin), D. margaritaceum (phou kadeung) and D. fimbriatum (weo manyola) are also traded.
Synonyms: D. caerulescens Wall., D. lindleyanum Griff., D. formosanum (Rchb. f.) Masamune, D.
friedericksianum auct. non Rchb. f. Callista nobilis (Lindl.) Kze.
Family: ORCHIDACEAE
Other names: Local names: other Lao. Thai: ueang khao kio. English: Trade. Chinese: chin chai, shih
hu. Vietnamese: huynh thao, kim thoa thach hoc, thack hoc, hoang thao.
Remark: Millions of magenta Dendrobiums produced by the cut flower industry in Thailand and
Singapore, adorn hotels and restaurants in SE Asia, are hybrids of species originating from New
Guinea and Australia. Many species are now rare in the wild due to overcollecting.
Use: In China and Vietnam they are used
medicinally in tonics. It is also reputed to impart
longevity and serve as an aphrodisiac. The stems
are used to alleviate thirst, calm restlessness, and
to lower blood pressure. Additional properties are
for stomachic, pectoral, antiphlogistic, painrelieving, and antipyretic medication. It was also
used to treat rheumatism, excessive perspiration,
entropion, leucorrhea, and menstrual pain. The
taste of the stem is bitter-sweet and mucilaginous.
Many other species are ornamentals.
Active ingredients: An alkaloid dendrobine. A dosage of 6-13 gram dried or 15-30 gram should be
taken. Dendrobium nobile is considered to be mildly cold, produce a considerable amount of
superoxides, and has antimicrobial activity.
Harvesting: Epiphytic orchids are often collected by felling trees, or pulled from trees and done so year
round.
Yield, densities:
Access rules: Generally no management rules exist.
Sustainability: Collectors should be encouraged to grow orchids and other ornamentals in their
gardens instead of collecting them from the forest.
Conservation status: The rate of collection from the wild implicates a real danger for rapid extinction
of some species. There are likely to be seasonal changes in the types of orchids offered on the market,
so the total number of species on offer over a whole year, may be much larger than is known.
Processing: Dendrobium stems are dried and sent to the Chinese border in trucks.
Quality criteria:
Marketing: Through the internet a Chinese firm sells extracts for 7.3 US$ per 100 gram. A large variety
of orchids (56 species, 20 genera), with the most common genus Dendrobium (20 species) are
exported to China, Thailand and Vietnam, at US$0.1-0.3/kg, or US$0.2 per plant.
Market prospects:
Propagation:
Description: Epiphytic perennial plant, with stem erect, and a little compressed especially at the top,
no pseudo-bulbs, to 30-60 cm long. Leaves linear-oblong, sub-sessile, to 12 cm long, 2-3 cm wide.
Inflorescence with 2-4 flowers, pink, with purple, 4-5 cm long, 3 cm wide.
Distribution and ecology: Indochina, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Myanmar and China. In Lao
PDR found in Xieng Khouang, Vientiane, Bolikhamsai and Saravane. Growing on trees in
mountains and wooded regions.
References: BKF, OGT, OGTLCV, BKF, TPN, SCS, TOO96, MPC89, RATPDO03, MPV93.
Terrestrial sympodial orchids
1. Paphiopedilum callosum Pfitz var. sublaeve Cribb., bia lai khao (slipper orchid)
2. P. concolor Pfitz., bia lai daeng. Sure?
3. Ludisia discolor (Ker-Grewl) A. Rich (synonym: Haemaria discolor Ker-Grewl., ya bai lai
Family: ORCHIDACEAE
Other names: Thai: 1. rong thao nang, rong thao nari mouang song kha, maeng phu, euang khang
kop, ueang khang khok; 2. rong thao nari luang pra chin; 3. phak bia chang, wan nam thong, wan ron
thong. English: 2. lady slipper; 3. jewel orchid.
Use: Ground orchids are collected for their ornamental and medicinal value.
Active ingredients: Bia lai daeng may contain
chemicals which help reduce aging.
Harvesting: Orchids are dug out or their roots
and rhizomes pulled from the ground.
Yield, densities: About 200-300 gram/day/person
can be collected, due to low densities and specific
habitats.
Bia lai khao
Access rules: Management rules are non
existent.
Sustainability: Becoming rarer as reproduction is limited through whole plant collection. Need for
propagation at village level.
Conservation status: Many species are difficult to find anymore. Extinction is likely for many species,
but identification lacks.
Processing: ya bai lai is sold fresh or sometimes boiled.
Quality criteria:
Marketing: Export of ya bai lai is to China, at village level in the north of Lao PDR. 1 kg is worth ca.
US$1-9, in the south US$1-2. Bia lai khao and daeng is exported to Thailand, for US$5-10/kg with 1015 plants in a bunch (US$0.5 on Lao side, US$1.5 on Thai side, to US$2-5,000 in Bangkok depending
on rarity). Often plants go as far as Korea for US$40/kg. Some 5,000-7,000 different orchid plants from
many species are sold at the Thai border in Champasak per month, at value of US$10,000, or
US$110,000 per year. However, information is vague with few official records to back up observations
of massive amounts traded.
Market prospects:
Propagation: By seed and rhizomes are both possible. Often planting of rhizomes collected from the
forest is preferred and simply propagated by division. Ya bai lai roots shoot from the nodes but are
difficult to raise. Trials have not been successful. Tissue culture is probably best, proven successful in
Thailand.
Description: Bia lai khao: simple pubescent leaf, thick, sponge like texture, upper blade light green,
lower surface dark green with lighter spots, oblong, 1020 cm by 3-5 cm. Solitary flower with erect purple
panicle of 10-20 cm tall, pubescent, flower purple with
green lines. Fibrous roots, 10-20 cm.
Bia lai daeng: similar to bia lai khao, but with upper leaf
blade surface dark green with lighter spots and lower
blade dark purple-green. Clusters of 1-3 flowers, yellow
with purple dots.
Ya bai lai: creeping with shoots of 5-10 cm high. Stem
with internodes of 1-2 cm. Stem yellow-green to
reddish. Leaf simple, spirally arranged, ovate, yellowgreen or reddish-green, veins netted (reddish) yellow.
Inflorescence erect to 20-25 cm, with 3-6 pink-white
Ya bai lai
flowers.
(bia lai khao) (bia lai daeng) (ya bai lai)
Distribution & Ecology: Very specific habitat needs, like low light intensity in leaf litter and on mossy
rocks near streams. Distributed in Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaya. Bia lai khao and daeng
mainly found in the south in evergreen and deciduous forests, in mountainous area on moist clay sandy
or sandy soils. Ya bai lai found in the north may grow in large densities, in the south it is also found,
along streams and slopes on loamy or red clays.
References: INTFP01, ARCBC, UNTFP97, OGTLCV, TGP98, BKF, TPN, TOO96, VILAY, NTFPRL04,
LSUAFRP1/2.
Special comment: In the south the most commonly sold species at the Lao-Thai border was sangkha
or foxtail orchid, Rhynchostylis gigantea. The next two most popular species were deng ubon, Doritis
pulcherrima var. buyssonia, and malai deng, Aerides multiflora.
Many ornamental plants are collected in dry dipterocarp forest and near or on the Bolaven plateau in
the south of Laos. Besides orchids, other plants are Hoya sp., Curcuma sp. (dok kachiao) and ferns.