Rare orchid and new species may be exhibited

Rare orchid and new species may be exhibited
Tuesday August 14, 2007
By Christina Koh

TANAH RATA: A rare orchid and an Amorphophallus species unique to Cameron Highlands might soon go on display once it is proven that they are new discoveries.

Cameron Highlands district officer Datuk Mohamad Noor Abdul Rani said they were considering showcasing the plants at the Cameron Highlands Mountain Park in Parit Falls set up by Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) and the Forestry Department.

The park, expected to open this year, will feature mountain flowers, orchids and other plant species, especially those endemic to Cameron Highlands.

“The two plants would be a testament to the region’s rich biodiversity and a valuable attraction for eco-tourists,” Mohamad Noor said.

One of the plants is an Amorphophallus plant recently discovered by a group of scientists led by Datuk Seri Lim Chong Keat during a FRIM botanical expedition.

Mohamad Noor said the plants, which came in two variants of purple or white flowers, had been surprisingly found growing near the side of the road at the foot of Gunung Jasar.

“A team from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak is now studying the Amorphophallus plant to determine if it is a new species, and if it could be safely moved to a new habitat,” he said.

He added that the plant could be unique to the highlands, since other Malaysian Amorphophallus species were all usually found in the warmer lowlands.

“In Indonesia, the Amorphophallus plant is called bunga bangkai because of its corpse-like stench. However, the ones in Cameron Highlands are much taller,” he said.

The other new discovery Mohamad Noor was hoping to display is the rare Monomeria orchid, a genus of orchid previously not found anywhere else in Malaysia.

Environmentalists Embi Abdullah, 59, and N. Madi, 52, first came across the orchid last year while trekking in the jungles of the Ruil mountains. -- The Star.