One of the Rare jewels of the deep western Ghats is this Seductively fragrant and beautiful Wild Orchid Called as the Aerides Crispum…Aerides Meaning ….”Of the Air” refering to the plants sustenance and “Crisp” referring to the consistency and the margins…This is also referred to as the Curled Aerides. The Flowers are capable of remaining bloomed for over a month if unfertilized. In Kannada, it is also called as the “Draupadi Dande” which translates to Garland of Draupadi.This is due to her inability to weave long garlands as opposed to “Seethe Dande” (Rhynchostylis Retusa)..another orchid found in the same region with long inflorescence.(Folklore is that Seetha of Ramayana was an expert at weaving Garlands)…
Text and Image by: Dr.Bishan Monnappa . Shot on June 2024 at Coorg.
