.~j-'f B~]jJ!f!t~Jgtll:f?JJ~ Gloria SIU lai Ping Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden pg.'tt1i~ IM;ffiJJJMf4tj4&JB~m-f1!j, M!fr1:i:~;ej(1I of the family are commonly ;ffi~4&J~~.*~-~#o~~M;ffi~~ known as orchids (Lan Fa). Orchidaceae is one of ~*~~~;ej(,~~m~mm~~,ftm the largest families of flowering plants in the .~~...,*n.mM!~~.,mM! world. Although orchids occur naturally almost frtI:~1t~~~mJ1!!~ 0 everywhere, from the tropics to temperate zones, and in both humid and dry climates, most of the 1JI1tJ~film- ' m:ffMf4tj4&J!Ii~ 700 ~ group's diversity exists in the tropics. 11 ' ~25,000fl 0 11:!18501fftJfU~M;ffi ~Jf~ 7J.]ffj~1tB~fltj~~JL' 1*1ftJj*~ Reliable estimations indicate that there are ~lt5tflW~flJ!Hil00,000~~ 0T~S currently about 25,000 recorded wild in fa B~M;ffi~517 /F&tlA,~)J~ Ai:~11 more than 700 genera in the world. Over 100,000

I: 0 ftlitml, 1f.~-tAtl!:*G~~' 5111:!~ hybrids and varieties produced by hobbyists and m,;ffi*~~~~M;ffi~~/F&~4&J~~ commercial growers since the 1850s. Many

~1IJx/FB 0 ..J: ' ~-fl~~~(~ orchids are very beautiful and have attracted the *tj4&JIllij)II)IJI'j;ffi~~mM;ffi- ~JJiM fancy of people in both the East and the West since (Phaiustankervilleae)iE£~17781f~~ ancient times. In Europe, the exotic beauty of large

'Pm)@fi¥J ~' SkJ~3¥Ji ~1*1 Tropicalforestin Hainan Province of . - ~~ ~1 EE3 jIl!JM*t;;Ziffi* a1W;;Z~t(;!'t9=1Z~ ~~~IJi,'!M) Anybridis crossed amollg 3 genera (Vanda is one of the' genera) --

EE-F'Ff 1Ji,'!M W fIf~ 1Ji,'!M *t;;Z iffi * a1W;;Z~1 A hybrid is crossed between of -Cattleya--. and-~-Lae/ia ~

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m~IAEm 0 ~~ ' /F&~t\HlJt'tlH~3f~1fgand colourful orchid flowers from the tropics .Em.~B~.~m~~ftm~°ft~m stunned lovers as early as the mid 18th ~m$j*~ (1}5G:fL1!t*GT*~), eplll! Century. In fact, the first tropical orchid that ~-T~~B;gmm1~Emm.~tlf (~Wtf flowered in England, at Kew Gardens, was Phaius . Cymbidiumgoeringii) , m.ft~-Jt* tankervilliaewhich was introduced from China in ~~.z~'~~xA~~m~~~~ 1778. Nowadays, orchids with unique and ~'iE1r/FMEm~.o colourful flowers are popular in international flower markets. In China, there has been a history of more than 1,000 years of cultivation and admiration of Chinese Cymbidiums (e.g. Cymbidium goeringii) since the late Tang Dynasty - qt it ng. ,31-tli ~ (circa 800AD). Chinese Cymbidiums, which often ~~~~AA~'~AA~&~~'M#m~ appealed to elegance and righteousness of W~+~~M&~~,~~~~~m~~ educated people of that time, have now become ~*f4z- 0 B~a~(B1f1731!~l,200 very popular with orchid lovers from every strata $.'.~~1f~O.~1f.o~~.~ of society.

M~/F~1l!:W-~~(B~ft~. ' ~J~n9BM .'~M.'~~MI!'~MI!'MI!' Orchidaceae Plants in China m~MI!'M~M.&m~M.~(B-@ The diversity of orchidaceae is very rich and .~...1fm.(B...~m.mo unique in China, as the country spans the tropical, sub-tropical and temperate zones. More than 1,200 species in 173 genera recorded (of which about 450 species are endemic to China) so far, making Orchidaceae one of the top three families of flowering plants in China. Many of them are famous worldwide. For example, some species and varieties of the genera Paphiopedilum, Cypripedium, Pleione, Oendrobium, Cymbidium, ~.~~.*~-.*.~.m~~m One of the largest wild populations of Calanthe, Vanda and Aerides etc. have high Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum in China ornamental and medicinal values.

jJiEi*;Sm~1t Flowers of Oendrobium fimbriatum *.~.~1t . Close up of the flower of Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum ~:iIJEM ( ~IJE) 'il~:f1It IJEM' 1i!~IJEM ( ~~IJE) , ;g, il;fi'i Ef!~,~~~it* Showy flowers of Aerides I :i;ffiiJ~M'~MiJ~M:& rosea -' ~M~~]!:JHJttt~n:g I'm. 'Jt;ffifto

Of these, Paphiopedilum armeniacum, P. malipoense, P. micranthum, Pleione forrestii, P.yunnanensis and Cymbidium sinense (Ink Orchid) are the most well- known examples.

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I Closeup ofthe elegi3ntJlowerof , i8**~~l%fB~~'/¥ffi~~' i Paphiopedilurr;rr;icrantfJUmyar. ' Flowers oUnk Orchid (Cymbidiumsinense) vvith nice eburneum ~ J. l fragrance

~t*If!!IRa~«IDE~*1jt»i¥rfft Ii:i:!f! a~ The /I Zheng LeiBen Cao"(A Diagnosisof Medical ~mM;ffi(xil~~M)*~~oftli]! Herbs), which was published in the North Sung ~iJ~M_'~M_:&~EM_I'm*~~ Dynasty (960 to 1127AD) had the earliest wood ~o~.~¥M~~I'm-.~,~..m engravings of medicinal orchids (Gastrodia elata ~t~:&:§.ma~M~ ' iitllt ' *i:M;f4fl and Dendrobium sp.) in China. China is also the ~a~~t£'It£3)\;f{J#~ii 0*.a~M;f4fl~ distribution centre of the genera Pleione, *_1ftS4- ' itft;~123ft:&4f!ft ' ~ Cypripedium and Holcoglossum. Hong Kong is a ~ftli+*z-I'mM#~ft°M#~~~ part of the South China region and is located in ~ftli~1tI'mJf,tf~1( 0 the inter-phase of the northern boundary of the tropics and southern boundary of the sub-tropics, and hence the diversity of native orchids is rich. ~~~mAj~~~~n'm~~*'~ There are 123 species and 4 varieties in 54 genera ~~~~y~~~m~~~~~~m~~ of native orchids in Hong Kong, representing

33l0 {jiJ~~fF1f{E2000~~33lB~f4~~m some 10% of the total number of orchid species -M~-oor ~JIj ~{E 2005~~33lB~ ~ ~~ found in China. Orchidaceae plants undoubtedly ~a~m-*~JIj II B~Nephelaphyllum are a part of the valuable asset of natural resources pulchrum' 2005~11tJEB~~ ~ if)f~a~m of China.

-9'BJIjII ~ Paphiopedilumhelenae~~ 0 As a result of the hard work of many scientific researchers, new species of orchids are still being discovered in China. For instance, this author discovered a new to science species, Anoectochilus nanlingensis, in 2000, a new record species, Nephelaphyllum pulchrum, for China in 2005, and the Paphiopedilumhelena,which was a new record for China confirmed in 2005.

:=EJ32t!r~~'!~{t i ---Flowers of HO/cog/o55um-- --wangii- ,

In recent decades, humans have been largely responsible for the loss of natural habitat and ~~+~~,A~~m~~~~~~~~ increased exploitation of natural resources, ~.~~,§~~~~~~m~~~~ resulting in the decline of many wild populations [51, ~*~3&1f~~tl~B~~9rmff~ji of animals and plants. Although wild orchid ~~r~o~~~~~JIj~~~D~~ resources are rich in China, the present status of M ' ~ffij , M!1r9~ru~MrJL~P+?t.~ 0 wild populations of native orchids in China is 8~~m~~~JIj~BmA.~'.~ worrying. More than 200 species of native orchids .~a~m.~.{E~*MM~~~o~ are driven into endangered, critically endangered $,~~~~*~~~,~~~m~~~ or even at the edge of extinction in the wild. P]§ 2001~ Bti~@-JtJtl~~~!I!f~JIj Fortunately, the Wild Fauna and Flora ~lkimJHIUJJiYf*1HI~*t7t~M!1r90 * Conservation Department of the State Forestry ~JB~J!I!.~~tl~ Imlj)\!f!~1970~{~ Administration has started comprehensive conservation actions and initiatives in some regions and on certain threatened wild orchids since 2001. In Hong Kong, the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden established the first "Native Orchid Conservation Centre" in China under the direction of Mrs. Gloria Barretto, M.B.E., during the early 1970s with support of Prof. S.Y.Hu and the late Sir Horace Kadoorie. The Centre has conserved some 90 species out of the 123 native Hong Kong wild orchids and other threatened wild orchids native to south and southwest China. "'.nc '" " - Under continued and unfailing efforts, we have successfully propagated some 60 species of threatened native orchids in China, among which seedlings of some 20 species (e.g. Paphiopedilum purpuratum, Doritis pulcherrima, Dendrobium chrysanthum, Calanthe triplicata, Anoectochilus roxburghii etc.) have been growing steadily and reaching mature flowering stages. This success W'*S~~~I~~~~~*~~I~ represents a significant step forward for orchid .~I..~.I~~.~~'~~7a conservation in China. ~~Mr*~.~~.~~J*B.a~ ~.~.~o~~.7*.lE.*~. ~ ~ ~ 90 M~.bt¥J¥j ~ggJ¥j~~.a3 *~.~o* '~@~.~.M

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*~.~ ' tr~20~.a31JJttf(~~W.~ ~./~~~.'~~.'*~~M'~ M/s~.9.'~.N~./~..~ ~)B.~~~~~~A~~m/~~~ As the mass propagation of threatened orchid *m 0 M!f~'B~1I'Blt~~iE{~*~m*i:M species has been a success, subsequently we

~f*1fI{'FX~rum~7-::k~ 0 started putting some of these progenies into rational and sustainable uses. Firstly, some of *~~~::k.~mW~1f~~~M~~::k these artificially propagated orchids have been ru.T'~~~~~.~..~-@B~ planted in greenhouse at KFBG to arouse public 1f~tBM1r:T**~1TPJ1if.Witf!l!~~Um0 awareness and strengthen public education on tt1JG ' ~f~nif1rJg@AI~1fB~M~~~ orchid conservation. Secondly, we also make use mf!l!.~~fl¥Jlm~g~P9*P& iJI0xv:rtiM! of them on ecological urban greening and ~~M~W7.'~~.M~f*1fI~~ enriching the native species diversity in 0XV:~1f0 ~tX ' ~f~'~~umm@::kl!~ horticultural landscaping in gardens in Hong mB~*i:M~flf**mll1~rP ~U'\U~{[j& Kong. For instance, the trial of using the Bamboo ~1JO*~IRI**~{[jB~*i:¥Jfi0 § ru ' )71' Orchid (Arundina graminifoli) which possesses ~flJfrffij~m~ B~tt~M (A ru n din a elegant shape and has a long flowering period in

graminifolia) , B5f~*)]~B~~* 0 :Ii Hong Kong, has been quite successful for this ~ ' ~ 7fJf:~~m~i'f!lt~~U~~)HfJf~ purpose. Finally, in order to promote the floriculture industry in China, we have started trials on hybridization of the Phaius magniflorus, whis is a Hong Kong endangered species successfully propagated in KFBG, with the more common some 4 years ago. This resulted in a hybrid with pretty and bigger flowers than the Phaius tankervilleae and also a more robust vegetative part. This example in

'~ t {8WJ*Si'i§'i!1fj:~'{~-tiy~~, '. < I Arundina graminifolia.isa Hong Kong native orchid wi~n ~--a long flowering period. ------ff¥o~liJJ~~JJ!f,~tiWJ@]tBUrU}J*:l:iHi Si*{81i~HI~ Successfully mass propagated orchid, Phaius --magniflorus ~--at KFBG. m-- ~- Successfully propagated Hong Kong Lady's Slipper Orchid, Paphiopedilum purpura turn at ' KffiG I

: nJgil)~:m&9m@{t* Close up of the pink series flowers of Doritis i pulcherrima i:~Ii'!~,&9:1"8 Flowers of Nun Orchid, Phaius tankervil/eae

rpil*f~~~m ' lI9~fU~fr9JDI~pX;;cJJ~KFBG demonstrates that when the conservation ~%~*m.~m-*~~~MW~~~ and propagation of the rare and endangered ~~~Mm~.~'*~B~~~~~~ orchid species well managed) then we can make M*W~,~~~~~~~~.~mo~ use of these .rare and even endemic natural ~~~~,~~re~iI~m.~~M~~ resources in a rational and orderly way. This til1k~~~t ' J!UPJ it~1f J¥!1!!fU m ~ @~ paves the way for creating a new and unique

.tt:!!X;t'f1f~$frJ' *;@UiL~ilt'f1f1k ~ floriculture industry of orchids in China with self- j:;@U~~Jf!!!z~IHtBgM~~jf~ ' 11J\ owned intellectual property right and / or patents iI.~~*.'~iI..*~~~*.~ and these orchids to be sold in the international :fulo flower markets to get more foreign exchange revenue for the country.

( PJ.J:. /iifJJt FiJllJ1!f!!l/lfftjj1Jl!1i':ff;;ff!fJ'i!J )fiJ1 §

fI&1¥1f~ f£ 1IffJUfi /J\ ftl1jJHjt) (The above photographs are contributed by Miss Gloria SIU Lai-ping, Senior Conservation Officer of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden)