By Dr. Peter Bernhardt
Author of Gods and Goddesses in the Garden
Guangxi Zhuang is a forested and mountainous region in southern China. As it lies within a subtropical zone it contains some of the largest populations of wild orchids in all of China. It's government has decided to protect a large section of mountainous forest and they will call it the Yachang Orchid Nature Reserve. The reserve will be inaugurated in May 2009 and the Forestry Bureau of Guangxi Zhuang has organized their first International Orchid Conservation Symposium from May 21 - May 24 to celebrate the opening of the reserve.
I will attend the symposium to present a short talk on "Orchid Conservation and Pollination." The scheduled, three-day tour of the reserve sounds really exciting as the mountains of Guangxi are reported to support huge populations of wild slipper orchids that bloom in May. These tropical slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum) are "cousins" of our America's Lady's slipper orchids (Cypripedium). In my recent book, "Gods and Goddesses in the Garden: Greco-Roman Myths and the Scientific Names of Plants," I explain that both orchid groups were named after the sandals worn by Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. As her favorite city was Paphos on the island of Cyprus the scientific names, Paphiopedilum and Cypripedium, refer to the sandals of the goddess of Paphos and Cryprus, respectively.
For more information on Dr. Peter Bernhardt, click here.
Comments