Jalan-jalan jumpa orkid : Hutan Lipur Bukit Hijau

          Pada hari Khamis lepas, tetiba kawan pulak ajak pergi berkelah di Hutan Lipur Bukit Hijau, Kedah. Kalau dari rumah saya ada la dalam kira.kira 45 minit ke 1 jam perjalanan..Hutan Lipur ni memang popular kepada mereka yang berada di kawasan utara..Lagipun dah lama tak datang sini jadi pucuk dicita ulam mendatang..bukan apa saya memang suka suasana di kawasan air terjun, sungguh tenang dan mendamaikan..Berkenaan dengan orkid, kawasan air terjun atau sungai memanglah menjadi habitat orkid liar..Untuk tatapan semua nikmatilah pemandangan hutan lipur ini dan beberapa spesis orkid yang sempat saya rakamkan..

           I love waterfalls..the sound of cascading water and the green surroundings, makes me feel relax and free, away from the hustle bustle in the city...This time I went to Hutan Lipur Bukit Hijau or in English we can call it The Green Hill Recreational Forest.This place is popular among the northern state people..I've been here before, but quite a long time ago , but this time around I was asked to join my friends for a picnic here. This place is in the state of Kedah..from my hometown it takes only 45 minutes to 1 hour to reach here..About orchids, they love waterfalls, because of the high humidity, they grow so well..These are pictures of the scenery and of course some of the wild orchids that I managed to capture..

Papan tanda yang terletak berhampiran tempat parking kereta..tetapi terlindung sedikit dengan pokok-pokok bunga..

The signboard of the Green Hill Recreational Forest..

Bulbophyllum gracillimum yang sedang berbunga tumbuh di atas batu besar 

yang diselaputi lumut di tepi sungai..Bulbophyllum jenis ini yang paling banyak tumbuh di kawasan ini..

Bulbophylum gracillimum with flower growing on a moss covered stone boulder..

These are the most common bulbophyllum growing here..

Pemandangan dari salah satu tempat yang sesuai untuk mandi-manda..

A view from one of the spot that you can take a dip..

Dendrobium crumenatum atau anggerik merpati..Siapa tak pernah lihat pokok orkid ni..

Orkid yang paling biasa..di mana-mana saja ada, kampung, bandar bercambah-cambah..

The most common orchid in South East Asia, Dendrobium crumenatum or Pigeon orchid growing amidst other epiphytes on a trunk of a tree..

Sungguh cantik pokok epifit yang menyelaputi sebahagian batu besar ini berjuraian seperti tirai..

Epiphytes that grows on a large stone boulder, forming a beautiful cascading veil of leaves.

Sebatang pokok tropika yang mempunyai buah yang berwarna merah jambu..

Tak sempat nak tengok namanya..

A tropical tree with a pink coloured fruits..

Katak berbintik yang sempat saya rakam sedang berehat di atas batu..

tapi kalau tak tengok betul-betul memang tak perasan..

A couple of pictures of a spotted frog resting on a stone..

It camouflage well with its surrounding, makes it harder to see..

Air terjun lata Bukit Hijau ini sebenarnya ada banyak tingkat tetapi tak semua boleh mandi, ada tempat yang merbahaya jadi papan tanda amaran memang diletakkan di kawasan-kawasan yang berisiko..

Another view down stream..water cascading down the flat stone surfaces..Actually this waterfall has  some sort of levels or elevation.some sites are very dangerous..so visitors must be careful, there are warning signs placed near those sites..its either because of the pool was too deep, the stone was too steep, too strong currents or combination of the aforementioned..

Tempat macam ini memang sesuai untuk mandi..arus pun tak laju dan air pun tak dalam..

This type of place is suitable to take nice cool dip, the currents are slow and quite shallow..

Ini pula sejenis kulampair, lumut la senang sikit..yang menarik tu ialah warnanya yang kebiru-biruan..

A beautiful turquoise coloured lichen growing on a tree trunk..

Tangga dan tempat pejalan kaki dibina khas untuk memudahkan pengunjung naik ke tingkat atas air terjun..Kemudahan tempat ni memang lengkap jugalah ada surau, bilik air, pondok berehat, tong sampah, chalet..jadi senang..

Steps and walking lane was built to assist visitors climb high up to the topmost waterfall..Facilities are quite good here, there are gazebos, restrooms and even chalets with recreational activities..

Sebuah tempat yang sesuai untuk merehatkan minda sambil menikmati alam semulajadi..

Flowing water among the stones..a suitable place to relax and enjoy nature..

Gambar di sebelah kiri menunjukkan sebatang pokok yang dipenuhi pokok menumpang. Antaranya beberapa jenis orkid seperti Flickingeria, Eria dan Bulbophyllum kalau tak silap Bulbo. patens..Gambar di sebelah kanan tu pemandangan lantai hutan tropika yang disinari cahaya matahari..

Pictures on the left shows a tree with various epiphytes clinging to its trunk, The tree is so tall so I couldn't close up.. But I can see Flickingeria species. Eria  and some Bulbophyllum, probably Bulb. patens. While picture on the right showing a tropical forest floor bathed in sunlight.

Cendawan hutan yang tumbuh di kayu reput..

Fungus that grows on a rotten log near the waterfall..

Di atas batu besar ini terdapat banyak orkid, lumut, paku-pakis dan beberapa pokok menumpang yang lain tumbuh melata..

A large stone beside the flowing stream where mosses, orchids, ferns and other epiphytes grows..

Air terjun yang paling cantik di Lata Bukit Hijau ini..nak sampai jenuh juga la memanjat..tapi berbaloi dengan penat mendaki tangga untuk sampai ke tingkat yang paling atas..Kawasan ini berangin dan titis-titis air terjun yang ditiup angin akan kelihatan seperti kabus nipis di waktu pagi..memang best..

The most breathtaking waterfall in this recreational forest..a cascading body of water falling into a large pool..Located at the top of the climb..It is windy here where droplets of water blown by the wind forming a thin mist around the area

Di dalam kedua-dua gambar ni, sekali tengok nampak macam lumut yang tumbuh pada batang pokok, tapi sebenarnya ini ialah orkid !, mesti ramai yang tak perasan..Ini ialah spesis Podochilus microphyllus..orkid ini tumbuh di sekeliling batang-batang pokok yang berhampiran dengan air terjun Lata Bukit Hijau ini..Ia tumbuh dengan subur tanpa gangguan..paras kelembapan memang sangat tinggi sebab angin yang bertiup membawa titis-titis air di sekitar tempat ini..Masa kali terakhir saya datang dulu memang orkid ini tumbuh tak sebegitu 'meriah' seperti sekarang..Saya memang kagum...

What appear to be mosses covering the tree trunk in both pictures here is actually a vast colony of orchids! These are Podochilus microphyllus, they are growing so well here particularly on the trunks of the trees closest to the topmost waterfall, because of the constant misting by the water droplets..the humidity is very high..the last time I was here they are not so abundant but now..I'm in awe..

it was an unforgettable sights..

Ini pandangan jarak dekat sedikit..kelihatan bunga orkid ini yang berwarna putih di hujung batangnya..Kalau kita tengok dari dekat nampak sikit warna ungu pada sepal dan petalnya..Ini adalah bunga orkid terkecil yang saya pernah lihat..mungkin yang terkecil di dunia..

(bunga saja bukan pokok) 

Here a close up view of the orchids on another tree trunk..here you can see the very small white flower at the end of the stem..Usually the flower has a purplish tinge when you do a close inspection on it..I can say that the flower is the smallest in orchids that I have seen..

Podochilus ini tumbuh melata seperti lumut yang meliputi sesuatu permukaan..Pada gambar di bawah perhatikan perbandingan saiz pokok orkid ini dengan tangkai daun kering yang lebih kurang sebesar batang mancis di sebelah..

Podochilus microphyllus has a mat forming growth.. Both pictures showing Podochilus covering the trunk and roots of the tree..On the right  picture you can se the size of the orchids compared to the dried leaf stalk on the left, which is about the size of a matchstick..

 

Yang ini memang lumut sebenar yang tumbuh berdekatan akar pokok..

And for the last picture..this is the real moss growing on the roots of a tree. 

I really like the texture of it.

For me, the vast marvel is to be alive. For man, or for flowers or beast or bird, 

the supreme triumph is to be most vividly and perfectly alive. 

-Al Purdy

 

Night Visitor...

        Last night I found this fella..The Oriental garden lizard, scientifically called Calotes versicolor. This is a very common lizard found everywhere in Asia..

This is still a juvenile. resting on a Dendrobium moschatum roots

Its almost impossible to get as close as this during the day..

At night they don't really move much.

Crawling away slowly to avoid my camera flashes..

View from the sides..

You can always see this species around the garden, 

usually on bushes and trees, in an exposed place..

They usually appear motionless to attract less attention to themselves..

but when provoked, they will jump to the ground and run in a split second..

They are insectivore, eats only insects..

They are very plain looking lizard, with tanned coloured body 

to help them camouflage around their habitat..

Because of their long slender bodies they can move very fast..

 

 The tails are really long, almost three times the lengths of their body..

Before I forget , I would like to thank Ze Julio and his nice blog 'Pedras, Plantas e Compania' for being my 7th followers..

Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, 

like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless 

but all together perfume the air. 

- George Bernanos
 

Jalan-jalan jumpa orkid : Cameron Highlands

        2 weeks ago I went to Cameron Highlands again..this time just accompanying my younger brother and his friends..So I'm not looking for orchids exactly, but here, anywhere you look, orchids are everywhere..While I was there, we went to MARDI Agrotechnology Park, the place is quite new I think.. Theres a lot of plants on display, such as garden plants, herbs, vegetables even grapes and apples..all divided into their own section..Looking around, I've found an orchid garden situated near the the garden with water fountain...well, what I'm waiting for...More info about Cameron Highlands here and here..

        2 minggu lepas, entah macam mana, tetiba pergi ke Cameron Highlands lagi..Kali ni bukan dengan niat nak cari orkid pun..saja berjalan-jalan..semasa di sana sempatlah melawat MARDI Agrotechnology Park..Sebelum ni tak perasan pulak ada taman ni, rasanya agak baru dibuka..nak masuk kena la RM3..Di taman tu ada banyak juga seksyen untuk pokok hiasan,ada juga pokok untuk makanan, buah-buahan seperti anggur, pokok epal pun ada..Tapi biasalah kalau dah gila orkid, yang tu dicari dulu, tup-tup jumpa la satu tempat yang dikhususkan untuk orkid, tapi di sini ada orkid liar sahaja ada la 1% orkid hibrid yang sesat kat sini..apa lagi snap gambar puas puas..

 Epidendrum growing near the orchid garden. 
Epidendrum ni tumbuh kat taman dekat rumah orkid tu..

 Close up..

 A view from the entrance, unfortunately the place was closed..

So I just have to take pictures from the outside..

Nak masuk tak boleh, tutup, jadi kena jenguk ambil gambar dari luar saja le..

 Pholidota gibbosa

 Another angle of some of the wild orchids on display. 
 99% orkid di sini adalah spesis liar. Ada la nampak satu, dua orkid hibrid..

   Phaius callosus                           Pholidota species

 Oberonia species                          Coelogyne species

 A view from the other side of the orchid garden..

 Orchids were left to grow with minimal disturbance...

 

 Another view..Nak masuk tak boleh,
jadi nak tengk nama-nama orkid susah lah..

 Agrostophyllum species

Tempat ni 'semak' sedikit macam kurang penjagaan,
maklumlah orkid kat sini tumbuh macam lalang, campak di mana pun boleh hidup..Kalau pihak pengurusan touch-up sikit dah ok dah..

 Bulbophyllum species

 Dendrochilum species

 Coelogyne species

 I think this is Sobralia from the look of it leaves, there are no flowers, 

only the seed pod.

 Dendrobium sanguinolentum

  I'm, not sure what is this, possibly Chelonistele species, related to celogyne..

 Dendrobium species

Various species of orchids that grows on a moss covered giant tree fern

just outside the the orchid garden..
Ni pokok kat sebelah rumah orkid tu, penuh dengan anak-anak orkid..

Forests, lakes, and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes

- every form of animate or inanimate existence, leaves its impress upon the soul of man. 

- Orison Swett Marden