Not for sale: Orang Asli man turns down offers to buy rare tiger orchid

 

Smallholder Razali Ayeh, 51, said the vividly coloured orchid, scientifically known as ‘Grammatophyllum speciosum’, was particularly special to him as he had found it as a seedling in the forest and had nurtured it for more than a decade. - NSTP/ PAYA LINDA YAHYA

GUA MUSANG: A tiger orchid cultivated by an Orang Asli resident here since 2011 has bloomed for the second time, eight years after its first flowering, drawing visitors eager to buy it despite the owner's refusal to sell.

Smallholder Razali Ayeh, 51, said the vividly coloured orchid, scientifically known as 'Grammatophyllum speciosum', was particularly special to him as he had found it as a seedling in the forest and had nurtured it for more than a decade.

"The residents and I were also very excited waiting for it to flower. It first bloomed in 2018 and this year it has produced its beautiful striped petals for the second time," he told reporters at Kampung Redip here.

"When the flowering season arrives, this orchid becomes one of the attractions here. Some visitors who are lucky enough to see it in bloom ask to buy it, but I will not sell it because I am attached to it. It is also not easy to find as it only grows high up on trees in the forest," he said.

Razali said he found the seedling after it fell from a tree while he was working in a forest area near Pos Hau, about an hour's journey from Kampung Redip.

"I brought it home simply as a decoration for our settlement, as Kampung Redip is a focal point for visitors because we have homestays," he said.

Of the three orchid plants growing at his home, Razali said only one was the native tiger orchid he had found in the interior forest.

He said he appreciated the beauty of forest flora and found the orchid relatively easy to care for, retaining its green young stems while pruning the older, brownish ones.

"I did not plant it in a pot because I wanted it to have plenty of space to grow. After more than a decade, it multiplied from a single stem into a large cluster. To ensure it thrives, I use coconut coir and place it in an open area where it gets sufficient sunlight," he said.

The native exotic species is also known locally as the 'sugarcane orchid' because of its long, segmented stem.

Now in bloom, the orchid has become one of the attractions in Kampung Redip, which also offers homestay facilities for visitors.

The tiger orchid is widely known as the world's largest orchid, and blooms only once every 2 to 5 years. — BERNAMA