Family: Orchidaceae
Local name: Thingkep par, Thit Khuah pan
English: Orchid
Orchids "Thingkep par" , belong to the family Orchidaceae under Plant kingdom. They comprise one of the largest groups of flowering plants and they have so many varieties. The family is distributed worldwide except for Antarctica and some of the most arid desert zones of Euroasia. The greatest diversity of genera and species of these flowering plants occurs in tropical regions of the world. Orchid flowers have several sizes, shapes, and colors. Some orchids grow on treetops and others grow completely on the ground. There are two classification of orchids according to their habits such as Sympodial and Monopodial . Sympodial orchids form a horizontal stem called rhizome that produces new shoots from buds. One of the most common examples of Sympodial orchids are Cattleyas. Monopodial orchids, such as Vandas and Vanilla, have no rhizomes, but produce an erect or pendent stem with leaves growing continuously from the same growing point. Orchids have only one stamen (male floral organ), and only one anther (pollen-producing structure) in most orchids. The modes of orchid pollinations include self-pollination but most of them are thru insects such as bees, butterflies, and moths. It is through their bright colors and sweet scents attract the insects. The jungles of Chin Hills is gifted with several wild flowering plants including orchids. There are numerous species and genera of orchids in Chin Hills which are so rare and could even be the most beautiful orchids in the world. These orchids found in Chin Hills grow on treetops, which makes them hard to collect and hard to see from the ground. As of now I have no idea yet on what species and genera of orchids are there in Chin Hills. It is so sad that there were no information in the country concerning the floral diversity of Chin Hills and other parts of the country. Because of its demands in the commercial markets and in field of medicines, the orchids now a day are exploited and their habitats were destroyed by the local people. It is becoming a reality that the floral diversity of Chin Hills is deteriorating. We need to be aware of our activities and our responsibilities as Christians. References: Orchids - Economic Botany lecture handouts Orchidaceae (description) - www.botany.com/orchidaceae
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