Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Phillip Cribb
Orchids have been cultivated in China for over 2500 years, since
before the time of Confucius, yet the Chinese orchid flora is still
incompletely understood and new species continue to be added to
the estimated 1300 native species. The exceptional diversity of
orchids in China can readily be explained by the size of the
country, its geography and its climate. The country is enormous,
5000 km from north to south and 5500 km from east to west, yet
almost half of it, particularly the far west and north are mostly too
arid for orchids to flourish. Temperate species, including many
familiar to those who know their European orchids, thrive in the
north and in the mountains of central and south-west China and
the wetter parts of Himalayas. South of the Qin Ling Mountains,
that bisect China from east to west, the climate is much milder,
predominantly subtropical but tropical in the south and in Hainan
island. Here tropical epiphytic or lithophytic orchids are found
alongside temperate terrestrial ones, the former predominating
below 2000 m, the latter above that elevation. In Sichuan and
Yunnan, the temperate and tropical orchid floras intermingle, over
half of all Chinese orchids having been recorded from Yunnan.
A three-hour drive along the excellent concrete roads west or
north from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan brings one to the foot-
hills of the Tibetan marches, the mountains that form the eastern
boundary of the Tibetan plateau and the great Himalayan chain
that forms its southern boundary. In contrast to the Himalayas, the
mountains here run more or less north–south, rising to 7556 m
above sea level at Gongga Shan (Minya Konka), a spectacular
pyramidal mountain that towers above the valley of the Dadu
River, one of the tributaries of the mighty Yangtze. The country
reflects this pattern with high mountain chains separated by deep
gorges carved out by the tumultuous rivers that tumble out from
the Tibetan plateau. The ranges, mostly above 5000 m, are snow-
capped for much of the year whereas the climate in rivers valleys
from 2000 m down to 600 m elevation can be subtropical. The
valleys are often very dry when in the rain-shadow of the mountain
ranges but, elsewhere, can support wetter forest and woodland.
Further north, the Hengduan Mountian merge into the Min Shan
# The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 2005. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd,
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and Qin Ling range which cuts east across central China, providing
an effective barrier to the northwards dispersal of subtropical
elements in the flora. Two UNESCO World Heritage sites, Jiuzhaigou
and Huanglong, are easily accessible nowadays from Chengdu and
provide easy access to the rich floras of the region. The lakes and
streams of these two reserves are hedged by forest-clad slopes that
nestle beneath high snow-peaked mountain ranges.
Western and northern Sichuan are famous as the stamping-
grounds of plant hunters, such as Père Armand David, Ernest
Wilson, Joseph Rock and Harry Smith, but they concentrated
most of their collecting efforts on the temperate trees and shrubs
that now grace so many European and North American gardens.
Only Wilson seems to have collected orchids as living plants, at
least two species of slipper orchid being introduced by him to the
Arnold Arboretum. Nevertheless, he and the other collectors did
make herbarium collections of orchids on their travels and these are
some of the early collections that form the basis of the account of
Chinese orchids now in preparation for the English edition of the
Flora of China by a team that includes Kew botanists (completion
due in 2006).
Sichuan has a rich and diverse orchid flora that includes both
familiar and unusual orchids. On several expeditions in Sichuan in
recent years, I have been fortunate enough to see a variety of them
and will discuss some of the most noteworthy here, starting with the
slipper orchids.
SLIPPER ORCHIDS
The centre of diversity of the temperate slipper orchid genus
Cypripedium lies in southwest China, in the Hengduan Mountains
that stretch from northwest Yunnan to northwest Sichuan. Some
22 of the 48 species of Cypripedium are found here and, in some
localities several can be found growing together. They prefer lime-
stone rocks, screes and stony banks, usually under light shade and
preferable on north-facing slopes.
The panda country of northwest Sichuan is also prime slipper
orchid country. The alpine meadows on the slopes of Sigunian
Shan (Six Maidens Mountain) at above 3000 m in the Wolong
Panda Reserve are rich in slipper orchids. In June, not long after
the snow has melted, the deep maroon flowers of C. tibeticum Rolfe
emerge on short stems from the flattened brown turf. Its deeply
Fig. 4. Cypripedium tibeticum on stabilised scree near Konka Shan in June 2004.
C. fargesii, but the flowers are very sparsely hairy and spotted and
suffused with deep chocolate maroon. Nearby were colonies of
C. micranthum and the green-flowered C. henryi Rolfe, while on
large boulders in the river-bed nearby were colonies of C. flavum
and C. tibeticum. Cypripedium henryi is closely related to our native
C. calceolus L., but it has two to four, smaller, green flowers. In
Sichuan, it usually flowers in early to mid May.
Mid-May is also the prime time to see Cypripedium fasciolatum
Franch., the largest flowered and most spectacular of all the
Chinese species. It is another close ally of C. calceolus, but has
creamy flowers marked with purple stripes on the sepals and petals.
The large lip resembles the egg of a pigeon. It grows, like so many
of its allies, in limestone rubble on slopes in the shade of woodland
and scrub. Records, from as far apart as Emei Shan in western
Sichuan and western Hupeh, suggest that it was formerly not
uncommon, but it is now hard to find because of over-collection.
CONCLUSION
Western China is a rewarding country for the orchid enthusiast.
In particular, Sichuan, with its diverse and spectacular land-
scapes, offers a variety of habitats from high alpine meadows to
deep steamy gorges that suit a wide spectrum of orchids. Sichuan is
a paradise for the slipper orchids of the genus Cypripedium, the diversity
of which is unmatched elsewhere. It is now more accessible than
ever before. The Chinese have pushed new roads into the moun-
tains, and journeys that previously took two or three, bone-shaking
days can now be covered in comfort in a day. Furthermore, there
are excellent hotels in most of the nature reserves, too many in the
case of Jiuzhaigou which caters for more than 10 000 visitors a day.
The nature reserves are well-run and kept remarkably litter-free. A
keen eye and a little advanced preparation can ensure a rewarding
visit to these spectacular mountains and one that will remain firmly
impressed on the memory ever-after. Ecotourism has never been
easier nor more rewarding!