Thanks Pankaj :) On Thursday, October 3, 2013 11:00:32 AM UTC+5:30, Dr Pankaj Kumar wrote: > > Orchids are very unique and they are found in wide range of habitats > at diverse elevations. > Still they are highly sensitive. They can be EPIPHYTIC (growing on > other trees- not as parasite); TERRESTRIAL (growing on ground); > AQUATIC (growing in water); SEMI-AQUATIC (growing near water or in > areas which are waterlogged for significant duration of the year); > SUB-TERRENEAN (growing completely below ground). > > They occupy great range of elevations depending on the region of earth > they are found. > People say that epiphytic orchids are not found at higher elevations. > But this is not true. Some taxa like Dendrobium brevicaule are found > upto 4000m elevation. Overall, terrestrial orchids reach much higher > elevation that epiphytic ones. > > Orchids occupy wide range of habitats. However the diversity is lower > in homogenous vegetation where as it is higher in heterogenous > forests. Highest diversity is found in warm and humid areas like > tropical rain forests. > > One of the main reasons for their high diversity and wide distribution > is the absence of endosperm in the seeds. Hence they are very light > and can be carried to greater distance by wind. When they fall in new > area, they either adapt well or they die. In rare cases they try to > customize themselves to the new environment giving rise to a new > species over a long period of time. Orchids are cross pollinated and > natural hybrids are known to occur in wild. Cross pollination helps in > maintaining high genetic diversity within and between different > populations. > > Regards > Pankaj > > -- > *********************************************************** > Pankaj Kumar, Ph.D. > IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group Asia > > Office: > Conservation Officer > Orchid Conservation Section > Flora Conservation Department > Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation > Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > Residence: > 151, 1st Floor, Tai Om Tsuen > Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. > > email: pku...@kfbg.org <javascript:>; sahani...@gmail.com <javascript:> > Phone: +852 2483 7128 (office - 8:30am to 5:00pm); +852 9436 6251 > (mobile). Fax: +852 2483 7194 >
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to indiantreepix+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to indiantreepix@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
