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Cymbidium whiteae is one of the flagship orchid species of the Writhlington School Orchid Project, and is being cultivated and sold to raise funds to support the Gangtok Schools Orchid Project, which they are working to support in Sikkim, Himalayas. Known only from a single forest near to Gangtok, the capital city of Sikkim, C. whiteae was over-collected in Victorian times - and there are many more plants of this species in cultivation than in the wild.
Orchid growers around the world should ensure that any plants they purchase are seed-raised, and not illegally collected from the wild.
Etmology: Named for Mrs White, Victorian orchid grower in Sikkim from England
Habitat: Evergreen forest, 1500-2000m
Growth: Small-sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte
Flowering time: Autumn-Winter |
Paphiopedilum fairrieanum is one of the flagship orchid species of the Writhlington School Orchid Project, and is currently being cultivated by the students and will be sold to raise funds to support the Gangtok Schools Orchid Project, which they are working to support in Sikkim, Himalayas. P.fairrieanum is known in the wild in Bhutan and North East India - and the last surviving population in Sikkim is on a steep grassy cliff at a village called Tinkitam. In a joint project between The Department of Forests, villagers and conservationists, this area has been designated as Sikkim’s first single species reserve, and a focus for local people and tourists to learn about, whilst helping to protect, the region’s amazing diversity, and a source of income for the local people. Over-collection from the wild is one of the main threats to this beautiful orchid, but it is readily available from seed raised plants.
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Paphiopedilum fairrieanum
Growers around the world should ensure that any plants they purchase are seed-raised, and not illegally collected from the wild.
Etmology: Named for Mr Fairrie, Victorian orchid grower in Sikkim from England
Habitat: Limestone outcrops and forests along rivers, 1300-2200m
Growth: Dwarf, clump forming, warm to cold growing epiphyte
Flowering time: Spring |
