Body established to conserve native orchids

Press, 12 June 1984, Page 16

Body established to conserve native orchids

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington The collection and sale of many of New Zealand’s native orchids is causing increasing concern. A Native Orchid Group has been set up to promote interest in and conservation of orchids. This group hopes to act as a focus for those concerned to see that these beautiful and, in some cases, rare plants, are disappearing from the wild. People interested in learning more about native orchids should write to Mrs D. Cooper, 14 Avalon Crescent, Lower Hutt, who is coordinating work for the Native Orchid Group. There is increasing concern about the hundreds of native orchids being collected and offered to the public by commercial, growers, garden centres and shops. The Nature Conservation Council says there is a real risk that some wild populations may be destroyed by such collection as ipany of these orchids do not survive in cultivation and most native orchids cannot be grown successfully from seed. So far, 22 genera of native orchids have been identified, representing nearly 80 species. Discoveries are still being made, although only one (Aporostylis) is endemic to New Zealand. Six species are epiphytic (perching on trees but not parasitic on them), five species obtain their food from a fungus which is parasitic on the roots of forest trees, and many species are associated with! a special fungus which they need for their growth and : survival.

About 10 orchid species (14 per cent of the total),, are listed as being at risk. The following list gives the names of the endangered species and the category of threat to them:— Bulbophyllum tuberculatum (indeterminate), Calo- , chilus cameptris (endangered), C. robertsonir (vulnerable), Chiloglottis formicifern (extinct), Corybas unguiculatus (endangered), Cryplostilus subulata (endangered), Paracaleana minor (endangered), Pterostylis nutans (extinct), Thelymitre matthewsii (extinct) and Toania australis (vulnerable). Yoania australis is confined to New Zealand, and another — Bulbophyllum tu•berculatum — was until recently, but is now on Lord Howe Island and has been recently reported on the Australian mainland. The other species are regarded as Australian orchids which have migrated to New Zealand at various intervals. Most native orchids can be propagated successfully from seed. Almost all the native orchids for sale have been collected from wild populations, and one flower picked may represent thousands of seeds lost.

Unlike tropical orchids, native orchids have small and short-lived flowers. Little is known about the characteristics of some of them. Several common epiphyte species of native orchid can be propagated by dividing and are relatively easy to grow. One of these, Marina autumnalis, is also highly fragrant. People wanting to grow native orchids are being urged to try these species. No legal impediment to the sale of native orchids exists unless they have been collected illegally. They are protected only on national parks, reserves or forest parks, and those in private land are unprotected. In some countries, legislation prohibits the collection of wild orchids or their sale or export. A revision of the Native Plants Protection Act is awaited in New Zealand so special protection can be given to rare and endangered plants, including those likely to be collected to the point of extinction. The Nature Conservation Council says that without this protection the existence of some orchid populations, specially those growing on private land, is tenuous.