Eighteenth-century explorers often had artists accompanying them on expeditions. Captain James Cook, for example, took Sydney Parkinson and John Webber. They illustrated places, plants and other wildlife during their voyages; their work is still an important permanent record. The invention of photography put an end to the practice. During our last travels to Madagascar, we were fortunate to have the company of one of today’s most talented botanical artists, recording some of the exciting orchids the island has to offer.
[1] Swollen rivers and dark clouds gathered as we passed flooded rice paddies, signs of a potentially significant storm on its way. Cynorkis speciosa, inset photograph, grows in grassland and wet roadside verges in central Madagascar.
This was our first opportunity in over 30 years to visit Madagascar during the cyclone season, February to March, which is the time when most of the orchids bloom, but also its most inhospitable. To our delight, Deborah Lambkin, botanical artist for the Royal Horticultural Society Orchid Expert Group, Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, and much else, agreed to join us. We had promised her torrential rain, violent cyclones, impassable roads, really bad food, leeches, giant spiders and innumerable tropical afflictions. Despite these dire warnings, let alone the challenges of drawing in the rain, Deborah was still keen to come. So, together with her sister Imelda, we set off on what became a most memorable expedition.
[2] Cynorkis syringescens was described in 2017 from the Tapia forest in central Madagascar. It is a suspected natural hybrid between Cynorkis speciosa and Cynorkis fastigiata.
We met up in the capital Antananarivo, having arrived via different routes, the Hermans via Mauritius, where we explored the previous week, and the sisters from Dublin and London via Paris where Air France had left Deborah’s luggage with little prospect of them being reunited in the near future ... Our accommodation was in a tiny hotel in the Monaco embassy where all the plumbing worked, the beds were soft, the beer was ice cold but cost almost as much as Madagascar’s national debt.
[3] Aerangis ellisii is now rare in its natural habitat, here growing on a rocky hillside in central Madagascar.
The following morning, we headed south on the Route National 7 (RN7) in two sturdy four-wheel-drive cars, a bonus this time of year as one could pull the other out of the mud if required, much quicker than the shovel alternative. Our trusted drivers and guides were Niry and Hasina; besides being excellent drivers, they are also great orchid spotters.
[4] A closer photograph of the flowers.
[5] First sketches by Deborah Lambkin of Aerangis ellisii, made during the trip.
From the start of the drive, the sky was overcast and threatening; more ominous were the flooded rice paddies and swollen rivers, the result of recent heavy rain, but soon the sun broke through. The road had deteriorated significantly since our November 2024 Orchid Conservation Alliance (OCA) trip. It was slow going, and we made a brief stop at Col Tapia, a famous orchid locality, to break the long drive. We found many Cynorkis, including Cynorkis speciosa and Cynorkis fastigiata, and the very pretty Cynorkis syringescens, described just a few years ago. A special find was Aerangis ellisii in full bloom in relative shade under the Tapia trees (Uapaca bojeri). It is a horticulturally desirable species and collected for roadside sale to locals, so it was good to see some flowering plants in the wild where they belong. Although Air France had not lost Deborah’s watercolors and pencils, frustratingly, there was little time to draw the exciting find, but it still resulted in a superb painting, completed after the trip.
[6] The finished painting of Aerangis ellisii by Deborah Lambkin, found in central Madagascar.
[7] Cynorkis uniflora is one of the largest and most colorful of the genus; it grows in rock crevices and damp areas.
[8] The roads near Ambatofinandrahana had become impassable, even for sturdy 4WD vehicles.
TO THE WILD WEST After an overnight stop at the wood carving town of Ambositra, we left the RN7 and traveled west to the small dusty town of Ambatofinandrahana. On the way, we stopped at a granite inselberg with a swampy seepage, a site we knew had plentiful Cynorkis in the past. Unfortunately, repeated burning had left it almost bare, but a single Cynorkis uniflora was in flower, and Deborah managed a quick drawing. If the RN7 was bad, this road was even worse, with fallen trees, deep fissures and numerous mud slides encroaching onto the road. Ambatofinandrahana is in an area of marble outcrops, and the plan was to visit an orchid-rich habitat on one of the marble slopes. Access was via a dirt track which crossed a simple log bridge, but when we arrived, the approach to the bridge had washed away and was impassible. Instead, we settled for exploring the site of a former marble quarry near the town, even then, we had to abandon the cars midway and walk due to the state of the road. Habenaria is another terrestrial genus which, like Cynorkis, flowers during the rainy season and one we were keen to see; on cue, the beautiful Habenaria incarnata and Habenaria cirrhata were found growing in the undergrowth at the quarry. We left as the clouds gathered and retreated to the only “hotel” in town, presided over by 91-year-old Mama Noora. To ease the anticlimax following the luxury of the Monaco embassy, we had reserved the only detached bungalow in the garden with rickety beds and “ensuite” bathroom (a large plastic drum of water and bucket). Unfortunately, our accommodation had been commandeered by heavily armed policemen, investigating the recent dramatic assassination of the town’s mayoress. We apparently had no choice but to settle for rooms in the main house with communal showers (an even larger drum of water and bucket) and toilets open to the elements, down a rickety staircase, and creaky floorboards and beds. A tremendous tropical storm also added to the ambiance. The next morning, a close encounter was avoided when the resident policeman remained silently hidden behind the shower curtain during the ladies’ ablutions and only made a quick dash for freedom when Johan took his turn for the bathroom.
[9] Outcrops of marble near Ambatofinandrahana are a good habitat for orchids.
[10] Habenaria incarnata has 6-foot (1.8 m) inflorescences, here growing in a marble quarry near Ambatofinandrahana in central Madagascar.
[11] Habenaria cirrhata has some of the biggest flowers in the genus; it is known locally as the bull’s horn orchid.
[12] Angraecum sororium is one of Madagascar’s most majestic angraecoids. Here, growing on a rocky outcrop in the center of the island.
[13] Deborah Lambkin working on preliminary sketches of Angraecum sororium.
[14] A sketch by Deborah Lambkin of Angcm. sororium on a postcard to be sent later
On the drive back to the main road, we realized just how much rain had fallen during the night; one of the big concrete bridges had shifted sideways from its footing by a couple of feet. Our cars passed gingerly, but a truck was being offloaded of rice sacks to lighten it before crossing; access and exit to the town suddenly looked very precarious.
Another Tapia wood was a convenient stopping place to take a break and offered an abundance of orchids. The numerous boulders between the trees provided shade and humidity for terrestrials and lithophytes, and the fissured bark of the trees was a good base for epiphytes. We had seen the gigantic Angraecum sororium in flower among the boulders in mid-January and were hopeful some would still be open in late February. We were not disappointed, though many had fresh capsules; there were still a considerable number in flower, and even better, they were still faintly scented at 9.30 am. Moreover, it was dry, so Deborah was able to settle down and capture the magnificent blooms. The rest of us went orchid spotting and found the diminutive but attractive Cynorkis baronii, Cynorkis fastigiata, Cynorkis lilacina, Polystachya mauritiana and much more.
[15] Cynorkis baronii grows together with Angraecum sororium.
[16] Lost luggage greeted us, in a rice sack, at a busy road junction in the middle of the highlands.
[17] Aeranthes caudata was in full bloom in the Ranomafana reserve; the flowers were almost 10 inches (25 cm) long.
[18] Angraecum ankeranense in the Ranomafana reserve; the spur is about three inches (7.5 cm) long.
[19] A sketch of Angraecum ankeranense by Deborah Lambkin.
INTO THE RAINFOREST, REUNITED WITH LUGGAGE Finally, we reached civilization at the junction with the RN7 and an important rendezvous with a suitcase. There we met Hasina’s son, who had collected it from the airport and traveled to meet us on a taxi-brousse, small buses which connect towns and villages all over the island. Aside from other essentials, Deborah was reunited with her big drawing pad, pencils and solar light. The latter turned out to be more useful than expected for finishing drawings in the evenings, as the light was often very dim in the rooms.
[20] Cynorkis calanthoides growing at the base of the crown of a giant Pandanus in the Ranomafana reserve. It is one of the few true epiphytic members of the genus.
[21] Platylepis densiflora, one of the less assuming orchids in the Ranomafana reserve.
[22] Angraecum mauritianum is a widespread and relatively common species; the flowers become bright yellow and then orange with age.
[23] The minute Bulbophyllum discilabium was one of the many species seen in the Ranomafana forest.
[24] Bulbophyllum sandrangatense in the Ranomafana rainforest. It was first found in 1965.
Ominously, as we approached the eastern rainforest, the heavens opened, preparing us for rain-soaked walks and leeches, but the following day, the skies cleared and we spent a dry day in Vohipara, part of the Ranomafana National Park. The very same area we visited in November 2024 then had just seven orchids; this time we spotted almost 40 different species in flower. Highlights were Aeranthes caudata and Angraecum ankeranense, both of which Deborah drew, plus the epiphytic Cynorkis calanthoides, growing in the top of a tall Pandanus. Bulbophyllums were also well represented, including Bulbophyllum discilabium, Bulbophyllum molossus and Bulbophyllum sandrangatense together with Aerangis citrata and Aerangis articulata. On the trail, we passed through a newly burned part of the forest; the rains had been delayed, and in late January, a fire had been started deliberately some distance away and quickly spread to the reserve. The whole community had fought to control it, and even the schools were shut to allow the kids to help. It showed how vulnerable the National Parks are to the destructive effects of slash and burn and other pyromaniacs.
[25] The leafless Microcoelia macrantha was in full bloom in the Mahakajy reserve.
[26] Aeranthes albidiflora is a very rare species described in the 1960’s, growing here in deep shade by a fast-flowing river.
[27] The flowers of Aeranthes angustidens are suspended from 6-foot-long (1.8 m), wiry flower spikes; the plant is in the top left of the photo, the flowers right at the bottom.
[28] Detail of the flowers of Aeranthes angustidens, in the Ranomafana area of Madagascar.
[29] Oeonia brauniana var. sarcanthoides in its habitat by a fast-flowing river near the 29 Ranomafana reserve.
Our mission the next day was to see the habitat of the elusive leafless Gastrodia agnicellus, named for Deborah in 2020, who illustrated the orchid for the original description from herbarium material and won the prestigious Margaret Flockton Award for the drawing. We found the spot, but there was no evidence of even the seed capsules that extend a foot above the leaf litter and are occasionally seen in December. The flowers appear intermittently in August to September and are difficult to find, buried deep in leaf litter. Instead, nearby was another fascinating terrestrial Platylepsis densiflora and also the more glamorous epiphyte Angraecum mauritianum. When fresh, the Angraecum flowers were a brilliant white, fading to yellow and then consistently becoming bright orange after fertilization. This dramatic color transformation was a new observation for us.
[30] Drawing Oeo. brauniana var. sarcanthoides in its habitat attracted a lot of local admiration.
[31] Oeo. brauniana var. sarcanthoides is one of the prettiest but also one of Madagascar’s rarest orchids.
[32] Oeo. brauniana var. sarcanthoides was drawn, photographed and measured in preparation for a finished botanical painting.
[33] Bulbophyllum longiflorum is one of the very few orchids with a much wider distribution in Southeast Asia across to the southwestern Pacific islands and northeast Australia, Africa and the West Indian Ocean Islands.
In the afternoon, we visited Mahakajy, a private reserve nestled in between two rivers. The most interesting part was the forest located at the water’s edge with many epiphytes benefitting from the moisture from the river. Here were Microcoelia macrantha, Aeranthes albidiflora and Aeranthes angustidens, the latter growing in deep shade, only revealed by the dangling iridescent green flower contrasting with the dark tree trunk behind. The inflorescences were 6 feet (1.8 m) long. It turned out it was the season for Aeranthes, as we would eventually see seven different ones. The find of the day was Oeonia brauniana var. sarcanthiodes, right at the water’s edge and 10 feet (3 m) up in a thin tree. Naturally, Deborah drew it, which meant one of us holding the tree down to bring the plant to eye level before releasing it when she had finished. The entire process was watched intently by the drivers and guides, spellbound by the magic of the emerging drawing. Other gems nearby were the tiny Lemurella virescens and Bulbophyllum longiflorum.
[34] Cynorkis gibbosa, one of the most eye-catching orchids along the road in Madagascar, is now increasingly rare.
[35] The diminutive Bulb. analamzoatrae in its type locality in the Analamazaotra reserve in Eastern Madagascar.
[36] A postcard sketch by Deborah Lambkin of Bulb. longiflorum, to be mailed later during the trip.
[37] Deborah Lambkin organizes her postcard paintings for mailing.
[38] Deborah’s cards were checked, covered in stamps, vigorously franked (postmarked) and mailed at the Andasibe post office.
It was now time to move on and head north to Tana and then due east to the Andasibe rainforest area. The first day’s drive was very windy as a cyclone had passed during the night heading toward the nearby islands of Réunion and Mauritius. Later, we heard that violent storms had also hit Madagascar to the North and South of us, with several casualties and much damage. Thankfully, all we knew was some heavy rain during the night. We made a brief stop to photograph the striking scarlet Cynorkis gibbosa growing on a steep roadside bank; much of the habitat had been destroyed by tree clearance to plant pelargoniums for distilling essential oil. Regrettably, after a few years, the price of oil plummeted, so most stills were now idle, leaving natural habitats destroyed, the fields abandoned and many Cynorkis lost. After this, the drive was uneventful apart from a truck stuck under a railway bridge; luckily, we were able to pass and knew the situation would be quickly resolved without a safety assessment of the bridge or closure of the road, unlike at home.
POSTCARDS AND ORCHID BONANZA We spent the following five days near Andasibe, still one of the most orchid-rich areas with many different habitats to visit. Some were long-standing National Parks, others were more recently protected, including a village reserve; ongoing research is showing that some of the local reserves can harbor up to 150 different orchids, or 15% of the entire Madagascar flora, with pretty much all of them endemic. Bulbophyllums were most plentiful in both National Parks: Mantadia and Analamazoatra at a lower elevation. They included Bulbophyllum pandurella , Bulbophyllum liparidoides , Bulbophyllum pleurothallopsis , Bulbophyllum longiflorum and Bulbophyllum analamazoatrae in its type locality. In addition, there was the pretty Jumellea stenophylla and much else. One morning on the way to Analamazoatra, we stopped at the tiny post office in Andasibe village. Deborah had painted her own orchidaceous post cards in the evenings and needed stamps to send them around the world. The whole thing became the highlight of the year for the Madagascar postal service; each of the cards had most of its surface covered by a series of stamps ceremoniously licked by the assistant postmistress, then stamped with great gusto and big smiles and then put in the post box. We were only cautiously optimistic that they would arrive sometime, but were amazed when the fastest took just seven days! All of them subsequently reached their destination, the lucky recipients finding a unique work of art in their mailbox.
[39] Jumellea lignosa is one of the more imposing of the genus, here growing in the Maromizaha reserve.
[40] Angraecum chermezonii was common in the Maromizaha, but just a few flowers remained.
[41] The large flowers of Angraecum lecomtei are carried on tiny plants in Maromizaha.
[42] Polystachya anceps is often wrongly identified as Polystachya rhodochila in the literature and in cultivation. Here, growing in the Maromizaha rainforest.
The next reserve was Maromizaha, a Natural Resource Reserve. We had only recently returned to this area, as earlier degradation had greatly regenerated after a private foundation became involved in 2015. Again, bulbophyllums were predominant, but there was the large flowered Jumellea lignosa and a less imposing green Angraecum chermezonii, together with scattered plants of Angraceum lecomtei, one of which Deborah drew. One of the most exciting finds was the real Polystachya anceps, often misidentified in cultivation.
The best forest was in the village reserve of Iaroka, which is relatively new and undisturbed, but slash and burn and lightning strikes remained a constant threat. Since our first visit in 2017, it has gained official recognition and is supported by the French Orchid Society (Fédération France Orchidées) who established a primary school for the village children in 2024. After a brief stop at the school to leave Deborah’s drawing materials with the schoolteacher, we went down to a Screw-Palm (Pandanus) swamp, admiring Angraecum panificolium growing beside the path. The Pandanus was host to Eulophiella roempleriana plants, which were in full bloom for the OCA group the previous November and now had orangesized seed capsules that had recently burst. The presence of small plants on the Pandanus trunks was heartwarming, for it is frequently collected, and so far, the colony has survived thanks to the guardianship of the village rangers. The bog was rich in other species too, including the diminutive epiphytic Liparis ornithorrhynchos and the dark red Bulbophyllum septatum. In addition, nearby was a large plant of Aerangis articulata with a magnificent spike, frustratingly ready to open in a couple of days. The next day, we visited a different part of the reserve and found others in flower, including many Aeranthes aemula scattered throughout the forest and a birds-nest-like clump of Aeranthes nidus, nidus being the Latin for nest. The day’s highlights were a large plant of Angraecum filicornu on a big tree trunk and a solitary plant of what is probably Angraecum elephantinum, which Deborah drew. Down in a second swamp was Cynorkis calanthoides in flower on the top of a Pandanus, nearby were Calanthe sylvatica and Liparis scaposa.
[43] Aeranthes aemula in the Eastern rainforest.
[44] Plants of Aeranthes nidus form a “nest” around tree trunks with the leaves catching falling vegetation and forming a microhabitat. The inset photograph is a close-up of a flower of Aeranthes nidus.
[45] An enormous colony of Angraecum filicornu, in the Iaroka reserve.
[46] Angraecum elephantinum is not often seen in the Eastern rainforest. Here, being drawn by Deborah Lambkin. The enormous flowers are about 4–5 inches (10–12.5 cm) wide.
It was then time to wind our way back to the capital to catch our flights home. Much to our surprise and relief, there had been no torrential rain or violent cyclones during daytime, no leeches, few tropical afflictions, just a few impassable roads, some giant spiders, and many chameleons and lemurs. We saw no fewer than 105 different orchids in flower in two weeks, or 10% of the Madagascar orchid flora, several we had not seen before. The highlight was the privilege of traveling with excellent companions, painting and drawing orchids in their habitat, and thereby adding a whole new dimension to our favourite Island. We very much hope that many completed Lambkin paintings will emerge for everyone to admire, perhaps at the Dresden World Orchid Conference. And we are already planning our next expedition during the cyclone season.
— Clare Hermans is the immediate pastchair of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Orchid Expert Group (formerly the RHS Orchid Committee) (email clare.jepson@btinternet.com and Johan Hermans is the chair of the RHS Orchid Hybrid Registration Advisory Group and Honorary Research Associate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (email j.hermans@kew.org).
