Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - Chairman II of the Indonesia Orchid Association (PAI) of South Kalimantan Marzuki revealed that the Pelaihari moon orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) is threatened with extinction.
He advised orchid lovers not to hunt this species into the forest or the plant's habitat because it will accelerate extinction.
Marzuki here on Sunday said Pelaihari moon orchid used to be quite a lot among orchid lovers in various places in the province, including Pelaihari, Tanah Laut District.
However, these orchids are increasingly rare. Marzuki said it is possible that the orchid species have not grown well outside their habitat.
"For us orchid lovers it's better not to go hunting in the forest looking for these orchids, except the cultivated one that are being kept. If we have to look for them in the forest and then keep outside their habitat and die, then we can be interpreted as not being orchid lovers, but can be called orchid destroyer," said Marzuki, who familiarly called Jack Kelimponay.
Marzuki, who is also Head of Waste Management at the Banjarmasin Environment Office (BLHD), owns the orchid cultivation land of 20x60 meter at his house in the south of Banjarmasin.
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Ir Rossi Rozanna Septimurti, Agriculture Development Head of the Indonesia Orchid Association (PAI), when visiting South Kalimantan in November 2016, said three renowned orchid species in the world are in three places, one in Philippines and two in Indonesia, namely in Bogor, West Java, and in South Kalimantan.
The orchids in South Kalimantan is Pelaihari moon orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis), she said.
According to her, Pelaihari moon orchid is better planted in core cross (inti silang), because of its various advantages not found in other types of orchids. It has long period flower between three to six months, while the ordinary orchids no more than one month.
In addition, the number of Pelaihari moon orchids in bud has reached 25-50 in one stalk, whereas only about 10-15 to regular orchid petals, and many branches in the stalk, whereas other orchid has only one branch.
"Pelaihari moon orchids one of species of orchids has very beautiful white colored and neat flowers and has high economic value," she said.
Quoting PAI South Kalimantan, in this region there are 1,000 orchids from 4,000 species of orchids of Kalimantan.
Of the 1,000 orchids in South Kalimantan, seven of which are rare orchids and are protected by law, so they can not be traded.
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