It was very fascinating to see these orchids in their natural habitat. It made me wish people didn’t collect and sell wild orchids because seeing an orchid in situ beats seeing one in a pot in a garden any day! Even without flowers, it was a momentous find for us and we took so many photographs of the plants.
Some may laugh at us for taking photos of a bunch of green leaves, but it really was quite momentous. The fact that there is still a small healthy colony deep in the jungle is an important find because they are so rare now. Poachers are willing to climb the highest mountains and penetrate the thickest jungles to collect rare plants and I suspect many of Borneo’s treasures end up on overseas auction tables. It’s just very sad! The location of these plants will always be guarded and protected from all to ensure they remain there undisturbed.
Some of the phals we saw were growing very close to the water surface. They sent down trailing roots right into the water, the tips submerged about 1 cm but suffering no damage. I suspect the root tips will begin to rot if submerged permanently (the swamp water level rises and drops constanly).
It was indeed a terrific find and we enjoyed taking photos of the plants as well as studying them closely in their natural habitat. From that, we were able to learn how to care for our own phals and what to provide them to ensure healthy growth. These phals clearly like to be close to water. For home hobbyists struggling with their phals, they should provide a high humidity level in the growing area. One of the reasons why I love taking in situ photos is because a lot of growing information can be gleaned from them!
All species phals today are very rare in the wild due to over collection and habitat destruction. Thanks to large nurseries such as LC in KL, select flasked and nursery-raised plants are now available in the market for all those charmed by this alluring genus.
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