Martin, the orchid world first heard about this Vanda in April 2003. I used the photo in my WOC talk, and the photo ought to appear in the Proceedings, if they ever get round to publishing them. No-one has found it since then. Tracking it down will not be easy; the locality is very remote, and I'm not telling. The big difference between this Vanda & the Phrag. kovachii affair is that you won't find anyone selling the Vanda from a roadside stall near the locality .... there are no obvious clues to be followed.
So, to answer your question, what am I going to do to conserve it .... well, nothing. As things stand, the plant doesn't need conserving; it's habitat is under no threat. But that's not what you meant, is it ? I cannot propogate the plant for 2 reasons: a) I live in hot, humid Singapore. The Vanda is a mountain species; it won't survive here. b) Even if I could grow it here, I didn't bring any plants back with me. I'm sure someone will eventually find it, and plants will end up on the market. As long as the number removed is not too large the population should be able to cope ... there are several thousand plants in those 2 valleys. So I made arrangements with an Indonesian friend of mine, who now has possession of one very large specimen of the species; a clump with 5 shoots, each well over 80 cm long, and with several smaller shoots at the base. Assuming he can keep it alive, my friend is going to display this ONE (and only one) specimen at an Indonesian Orchid Show at the end of this year, after I've published. I advised him not to break it up, but to auction it, as a single plant, to the highest bidder. Of course, he is his own man and may decide to act differently. I also advised him about what I thought would be a fair price, and my idea of a fair price was a hell of a lot higher than his idea. Before everyone screams at me .... I'm not going to get a cent from this. My friend is struggling to put his 2 daughters through University (we have this in common, although his struggle is much harder than mine), and, if he handles it properly, this one plant ought to make a substantial contribution to their university fund. If my plans work out, some seed will become available in the near future. I will divide it amongst a handful of people who I have had dealings with over the past years, and who I trust will ensure that flasks become available as soon as possible. OK ? Peter O'Byrne Singapore _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
