Black Orchid

Black orchid is one orchid species are protected in Indonesia as endangered in their natural habitat. Black orchid which in Latin is calledCoelogyne pandurata afloral identity(mascot) East Kalimantan province. The population of black orchid (Coelogyne pandurata ) in the original habitat (wild) are increasingly rare and has decreased quite dramatically due to the shrinking of forest area and hunting to be sold to the collector of orchids.

Black orchid ( Coelogyne pandurata ), as the name implies, has the characteristic of interest which has a tongue ( labellum ) is black. This rare orchid in English referred to as " Black Orchid ". While in East Kalimantan, which is a rare black orchid has a local name " Kersik Luai ".

Although synonymous with the black orchid species of orchids of Borneo but other than in wild forests of Borneo also grows wild in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia and Mindanao, the island of Luzon and Samar Island Philippines.

The characteristics Angrrek Black . This orchid species orchid called black because it has a tongue(labellum) are black with little green stripes and fluffy.The number of flowers in each cluster between 1 to 14 petals or more. The center line of each flower about 10 cm. The leaves are oblong-shaped petals, tapering, light green colored, long 5-6 cm, a width of 2 -3 cm. Melancip lancet-shaped corolla pale green lips resembling a violin, the middle there is one groove, crimp edges, colored jet black or dark brown.

Black orchid oval-shaped leaves are green with a length ranging between 40-50 cm and a width of between 2 -10 cm. While the fruit elliptic black orchid with a length of about 7 cm and a width of between 2-3 cm. From the overall interest is not much to be fruit.

Other black orchid hallmark that differentiates it from other types of orchids are fragrant odor. The plant usually blooms in March to June. Black orchid as orchids in general, grow ride on other plants ( epiphytes). This rare orchid usually stick to the old trees that live in coastal areas or swamps.

Black orchid ( Coelogyne pandurata ) grow in the shade.Generally fauna species of orchids into the identity of East Kalimantan is grown in lowland the old trees, near the beach or in a swamp area is quite hot lowlands and near streams in moist forests.

Plants are epiphytes (stays in other plants) is to multiply by seed. But the black orchid can also be propagated by separating the quasi bulbs.

The population of black orchid ( Coelogyne pandurata ) in wild habitat is increasingly rare. Although, according to Regulation No. 7 of 1999 orchids are protected and may not be traded freely (except bred in captivity), but hunting is done to take and sell the type of orchid to orchid collectors did not subside.

In addition, starting the shift functions of forests for plantations and settlements as well as the occurrence offorest fires that occur each year are increasingly making black orchid populations in the wild are threatened by extinction.

Perhaps connoisseurs and collectors of orchids before buying black orchid must be careful, if the black orchid that bought it bred in captivity or the hunting of the wild. Although many orchid lovers who collected the black orchid, but the extinction of this species in the wild remains a big loss for biodeversity Indonesia. Do not let the orchid lovers became the main cause of the extinction of the black orchid in the wild.

Scientific classification: Kingdom: Plantae; Division: Magnoliophyta; Class: Liliopsida; Order: Asparagales;Family: Orchidaceae; Genus: Coelogyne; Species:Coelogyne pandurata ; Binomial name: Coelogyne pandurata