BOTANISTS CONDUCT EXPERIMENT TO MULTIPLY RARE FLORES ORCHID

Bandung, West Java, May 24 (ANTARA) - A team of Indonesian botanical reseachers is currently engaged in an in-vitro experiment to speed up the multiplication of the Flores type of the Vanda Limbata orchid native to East Nusatenggara (NTT), a team spokesman said.

The experiment was intended to help make the floral species a profitable commodity for the people of Flores in East Nustanggara (NTT) as the orchid is in high demand in the domestic as well as overseas markets, Destario Metusala, a member of the botanical researchers team from the Purwodadi Botanical Garden and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said in an e-mail on Monday.

The Flores type of the Vanda Limbata orchid had a more fascinating color combination compared to the orchids growing in Java which were dominated by yellowish-brown or yellowish-orange patches.

"The Flores typpe of the orchid has a blood red color on its sepal-petals, just like a ruby diamond," Destario said.

The Vanda Limbata from Flores is also known as a drought-resistant orchid type and suitable for cultivation on low-lying land. Its roots and leaves grow faster than other types of Vanda Limbata, he said.

Therefore, the plant was easy to maintain and multiply , and its flowers bloom in a relatively short time, he said.

"Because of these characeristics, the Flores type of the Vanda Limbata has great potential to become one of NTT's prime commodities," he said.

The botanical reseachers team would later present the results of its multiplication experiment which was also conducted in natural conditions to the NTT government and thereafter it was up to the latter to benefit from the region's floral biodiversity, Destario said.