Alluring orchid stamps of Lanka

by Palita PUNCHIBANDARA SUBASINGHE

Among the many bounties bestowed upon this splendid island of ours is a rich and varied orchid flora. The island’s 65,610 square kilometres of territory, ranging from arid plains, sweltering valleys and cloud-hugging mountains, is scattered with well over 170 orchid species belonging to more than 66 genera. The orchid family (the orchidaceae) is among the five largest families of flowering plants in Sri Lanka.

With such a large number of orchids, many of which are endemic it is regrettable to note that there has been only 13 stamps depicting orchids (with two, the Star Orchid or Phaius tancarvillea Blume and the Vesak orchid or Dendrobium maccathiae Thwaites, re-issued in different denominations).

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The first ever stamp depicting an orchid was a 15 cent stamp issued on February 4, 1950, during the time Sri Lanka was still called Ceylon.

This stamp showed the Vesak orchid or Dendrobium maccarthiae thwaites, generally accepted as one of the most beautiful of the native orchids.

The Vesak orchid which is endemic to Sri Lanka was named in 1855 in honour of Lady MaCarthy, wife of Sir Charles MaCarthy, then Governor of Ceylon.

This orchid is called The Vesak Orchid because it blooms in May during the month of Vesak. The flowers are light violet pink, with a purple blotch at the centre of the lip and are about 7.5 cm across. They have drooping habit.

The Vesak orchid is found on trees in wet humid forests, especially in the Sabaragamuwa District. It has the notorious habit of sulking and eventually dying outside its native habitat. It has become very rare due to over collecting and is protected by law.

The next orchid stamp was issued on February 1, 1952 as a 35 cent stamp depicting the Star Orchid or Phaius tancarvilleae Blume. This is a ground orchid with a habitat in the mountain regions of Rangala, Hakgala and Adam's Peak. It is also found in countries such as Sikkim, Myanmar, Indonesia Fiji, Madagascar and Australia etc. It is commonly called the Swamp Orchid in these countries.

The flowers which last about 3 weeks are white outside and orange brown inside.

A stamp to the value of Rs 20 depicting the same orchid was issued on April 1, 1982.

With an abundance of beautiful endemic orchids, one wonders why this orchid was selected for a repeat issue!

The next orchid stamp of 75 cent denomination, depicting the Daffodil Orchid or Ipsea speciosa Lindl. was released on January 1, 1976.

The Daffodil Orchid is called the ‘Nagaa meroo ala’ (the yam that killed the sister) in Sinhala. The delicately scented flowers which resemble the English daffodil are a uniform bright yellow in colour.

Ipsea speciosa is endemic to Sri Lanka and has a habitat in the cool montane areas such as Nuwara Eliya, Haputale and Diyatalawa, but extremely difficult to locate owing to over collection and habitat destruction.

Apart from its beauty, what makes this orchid interesting is a legend associated with it. The story is about a young prince in exile who is said to have got into a maddened frenzy after tasting the tubers of this orchid and slain his step sister who resisted his amorous advances; hence its local name.

It is nearly impossible to grow this orchid in the Western Province but this writer has seen it being grown in Yakkala by Sirisena who is an avid collector of Sri Lankan orchid species.

The Orchid Circle of Ceylon, established in 1934, celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1984. To mark this occasion, the Postal Department issued a set of four stamps depicting orchids, on August 22, 1984. The writer takes pride in mooting this project along with Dr. Malik Fernando and the then Committee of the Orchid Circle of Ceylon.

The stamps issued on this occasion were:

Vanda Memoria Ernest Soysa - 60 cents, Acanthophippium bicolour Lindl. - Rs. 4.60, Vanda tesselata var. Rufecens - Rs. 5.00 Anoectochilus setaceus Blume - Rs. 10.00

The 60 cent stamp (Fig 5) portrays Vanda Memoria Ernest Soysa, which is a hybrid between Vanda tesselata and Vanda Walter Fujikama. Dr. Ernest Soysa, a pioneer orchid grower, was instrumental in forming the Orchid Circle of Ceylon and was a foremost authority on orchids.

The Rs. 4.60 stamp (Figure 6) shows the orchid Acanthophppium bicolor Lindl. A number of species of Acanthophippium orchid is found in tropical Asia and Sri Lanka has only this one species. It is one of our more spectacular wild orchids with 4.5 cm long flowers forming clusters. Sadly however, this orchid is relatively unknown, being a rare inhabitant of shady forests in the mid-country wet zone.

Of all the indigenous orchids of Sri Lanka, Vanda tesselata Roxb. which was the subject of the Rs. 5.00 stamp (Fig 7) is by far the most commonly grown. It used to be a very common sight in the dry zone to see clumps of this orchid growing on large trees, especially in the Anuradhapura district but not so now due to, once again, over collecting and habitat destruction.

The usual colour of this orchid is grey, but over 50 colour forms have been recorded. All varieties bear a delightful fragrance especially in the morning.

The colour variety chosen for the stamp is a pink variety which has a characteristic of transmitting its colour to the progeny in hybridisation while the grey forms are extremely dominant.

The beautiful leaved orchid, belonging to the Jewel Orchid group, ‘Anoectochilus setaceus’ Blume (Fig. 8) was the subject of the Rs. 10.00 stamp issued on this occasion. This orchid is called the Vana Raaja in Sinhala. It has usually about 6-7 leaves of rich dark copper tint with an exquisite network of golden veins.

The flowers of the Vana Raaja orchid are small, white and rather inconspicuous.

The next set of four orchid stamps was released on December 27, 1994 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the Orchid Circle of Ceylon. The four stamps issued were:

Dendrobium maccarthiae, Thwaites, (the Vesak Orchid) - 50 cts. Cottonia peduncularis Lindl. the Bee Orchid – Rs. 1.00 Bulbophyllum wightii . Rchb. F – Rs. 5.00 Habenaria crinifera Lindl – Rs. 17.00

The illustration of the Vesak orchid issued on this occasion is different from the one in the stamp issued in 1950 and is more attractive.

The One Rupee stamp (Fig. 10) depicts an interesting orchid, the Cottonia peduncularis Lindl. or the Bee Orchid. It is so named because the lip of the flower resembles a bee. The lip mimics a female bee sitting on the flower. It attracts the male bee, thus helping in the pollination of the flower. Flowers are borne in long, 2-3-branched panicles carried on long stalks. It is distributed in the Lowland wet to Northern and Eastern Intermediate zones.

Bulbophyllum wightii. Rchb. f. (Fig. 11) the subject of the Rs. 5.00 stamp is endemic to Sri Lanka and is found growing in the sub-montane regions of Sri Lanka.

The other stamp issued to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the Orchid Circle of Ceylon depicts Habenaria crinifera Lindl (Figure 12).

The genus Habenaria is widely distributed in the Asiatic region while ten species are found in Sri Lanka. Only four of them are endemic and grow in the wet lowland forests.

Habenaria crinifera is known as “Nari Latha” or “Ahas Makuluva” in Sinhala and has beautiful white flowers. A stamp to the value of Rs. 50.00 depicting Rhynchostylis retusa Blume, commonly called the Foxtail Orchid was issued on October 2, 2006. Rhynchostylis retusa’ is found growing in the low country dry zone areas of Sri Lanka.

The flower spike consists of more than 100 pink-spotted white fragrant flowers in a cylindrical inflorescence.

Despite the fact that fifty of the Sri Lankan orchids are now protected by the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, orchids are still being vandalised.

A more concerted effort has to be made with regard to improving public awareness in order to avoid the usual laments and regrets that follow extinction.