Local Distribution
Could it be that orchids originated in this land originally? We will probably never know but the question deserves to be raised because some orchids found here are completely without pigmentation – therefore have not gone under much change. For many years, some researchers have been looking to prove this hypothesis: 'Cambodia is the center of the origin of orchids' - M. Telepova Texier. The question is also valid if one examines the duality of the ocean and of the Mekong river. Cambodia stands as a filter to the ocean: its land is largely covered in water most of the rainy season. This mixture of water land and air offers an ideal tropical ground for the development of orchids
The spread of the species varies in these different bio-geographical zones: about 35% of all species are found in Coastal Region, 40% - in the Cardamom Mountain Range, more than 13% in the Dry Forest Savannah and 10% - in the Mekong Confluents. (M. Telepova-Texier 2011, october SPb).
For fear of being too specific about locations in this site, we have decomposed the country in four main bio-geographical zones where some distinct species can be found:
The Coastal region, prolific with numerous orchids, from Koh Kong to Kampot province, In this region, some 130 species have been documented.
The Chain of the Cardamoms : It is a good geographical marker for orchids as it is largely covered in forest and offers various points of altitude and interesting streams and waterfalls. For this many orchids found in the Cardamom mountain range may not be found in other régions. Hundreds of species have also been documented here and traditionally, this region has also attracted the most conservation efforts.
The ‘Mekong Affluents’, this purposely vague description allows us to symbolically introduce the close relation between water and orchids. From Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri and down to the plains of the Mekong, an interesting variety of species can be discovered.
The ‘Dry Forest Zones’ : best translated from the Sanskrit word* : Jongola (thereafter …jungle) this zone used to span from the north of India to Cambodia’s mountainous frontier with Vietnam. A very particular set of plants are designed to survive this harsh environment, made part of savannah part of forest with sparsed marshlands and even mangrove ! Orchids are among the plants living and able to cope with the hard environment. There are only a few pockets of this environment left today.
*From discussions with Claude Jacques, 2001
The spread of the species varies in these different bio-geographical zones: about 35% of all species are found in Coastal Region, 40% - in the Cardamom Mountain Range, more than 13% in the Dry Forest Savannah and 10% - in the Mekong Confluents. (M. Telepova-Texier 2011, october SPb).
For fear of being too specific about locations in this site, we have decomposed the country in four main bio-geographical zones where some distinct species can be found:
The Coastal region, prolific with numerous orchids, from Koh Kong to Kampot province, In this region, some 130 species have been documented.
The Chain of the Cardamoms : It is a good geographical marker for orchids as it is largely covered in forest and offers various points of altitude and interesting streams and waterfalls. For this many orchids found in the Cardamom mountain range may not be found in other régions. Hundreds of species have also been documented here and traditionally, this region has also attracted the most conservation efforts.
The ‘Mekong Affluents’, this purposely vague description allows us to symbolically introduce the close relation between water and orchids. From Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri and down to the plains of the Mekong, an interesting variety of species can be discovered.
The ‘Dry Forest Zones’ : best translated from the Sanskrit word* : Jongola (thereafter …jungle) this zone used to span from the north of India to Cambodia’s mountainous frontier with Vietnam. A very particular set of plants are designed to survive this harsh environment, made part of savannah part of forest with sparsed marshlands and even mangrove ! Orchids are among the plants living and able to cope with the hard environment. There are only a few pockets of this environment left today.
*From discussions with Claude Jacques, 2001