THE ANCIENT MONTANE grasslands of tropical southern Tanzania are home to at least 100 species of terrestrial orchids, all uniquely beautiful and of urgent conservation concern. A unique threat to these orchids is the harvest and use of their tubers to make chikanda, a traditional food originating in northern Zambia that is sometimes described as “vegetable sausage.” In addition to orchid tubers, chikanda is made from ground peanuts and chiles formed into a cake-like final product. It is said to have the texture of bologna and is served by the slice (Gattus 2019). What was initially a rural delicacy of people in remote highland regions of Zambia is now popular throughout the country, resulting in increased collection pressure on the orchids, especially because all the tubers are wild harvested (Veldman et al. 2018). Populations of terrestrial orchids in Zambia are declining considerably, forcing collectors to move into more disparate collection locations, including the orchid-rich highlands of neighboring southern Tanzania. Although the impact of trade on the wild-collected species used for chikanda is the focus of many studies, ex situ conservation measures for these species are largely absent from the literature. The Tanzanian government is interested in growing chikanda species to be used sustainably and alleviate the collection pressure on wild orchids.
[1] The typical form of Satyrium monadenum on the Kitulo Plateau.
With Tanzanian partners, in January and February 2023, I embarked on an expedition to document the diversity and conservation needs of terrestrial orchids in Tanzania, with the hope that the orchid conservation program at Longwood Gardens could expand to benefit ex situ conservation of chikanda orchids. For the last decade, the Conservation Horticulture and Collections team at Longwood Gardens has developed a conservation program focused on U.S. native terrestrial orchids. While focusing on ex situ and in situ conservation techniques, this work includes field surveys, development of orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) and a seed bank, laboratory-based seed germination ecology studies, in situ restoration, and ex situ living collections development. The role of horticulture in conservation is central to our endeavors. We have been able to propagate many U.S. native orchids, and the laboratory propagation techniques we developed for them may have utility n propagating orchids. With our facilities, expertise, and methodology, we sought to understand how we might be able to contribute to global orchid conservation efforts. Chikanda orchids are the perfect place to start.
[2] A pink form of S. monadenum from Mt. Mtwori.
In the summer of 2022, we made plans for an initial 24-day safari to explore the highland orchid habitats of southern Tanzania to assess and evaluate the current situation. Robert Sikawa and Barry Yinger from the Tanzania Sansevieria Foundation served as guides and logistics experts because of their extensive field work throughout Tanzania in search of Sansevieria. Dr. Neduvoto Mollel from the Tanzania National Herbarium (NHT, Tanzania Plant Health and Pesticides Authority [TPHPA]) also joined us to assist with scouting and to collect specimens for the herbarium. While vouchering orchid populations, one of our goals was to mark exceptional populations of orchids for future seed collection. To accomplish this, we worked with several Tanzania National Park and Forest Service Rangers that served as expert guides to all parts of the reserves we explored.
[3] Disa robusta on the Kitulo Plateau.
[4] Habenaria macrura on the Kitulo Plateau.
THE KITULO PLATEAU—“BUSTANI YA MUNGU,” THE GARDEN OF GOD Kitulo National Park, which encompasses the majority of the Kitulo Plateau, is the only national park in Tanzania designated for plants, specifically orchids. In Swahili, it is known as “Bustani ya Mungu,” the “Garden of God,” because of its expansive grasslands, rich in a staggering number of primarily herbaceous plant species. To give an idea of the diversity here, within the 155-square-mile (401.5 sq km) Kitulo Plateau and the surrounding highlands, at least 400 species of plants have been documented. To put that in perspective, there are only about 1,400 species of plants in all of 46,000 square miles (119,140 sq km) of Pennsylvania! Some of the characteristic plants of the Kitulo Plateau include Kniphofia grantii, Clematis uhehensis, Impatiens rosulata, several Helichrysum species, and dozens of terrestrial orchid taxa (Cribb and Leedal 1982).
[5] A bright red form of Eulophia odontoglossa
Just before entering the park, we started finding orchids. The first species we encountered is also one of the rarest, Satyrium monadenum Schltr. This brilliant, red-flowered species is endemic to the southern highlands of Tanzania and adjacent Zambia and is considered a rare species (IUCN data deficient, population decreasing). Just seeing one or two of these orchids would be considered a coup, but it turned out to be one of the most abundant orchids in the region! We found them growing, literally, by the tens of thousands throughout the park and adjacent highland regions. Our observations indicate that it is a species that thrives on disturbance, especially by fires. It was frequently encountered in recently burned areas. The colonies grow so densely that it is impossible to walk through them without damaging the plants. In addition to the typical, red-flowered form, we discovered previously undocumented color morphs of the species, including the fleshy-peach colored form, and a white-flowered form. Although it grew on the nearby peaks of Mt. Mtwori and Mbeya and scattered in other places, we did not find another site with population numbers as abundant as on the Kitulo. The Kitulo Plateau is likely the last stronghold of this narrowly endemic species.
[6] A velvet red form of Eulophia odontoglossa.
Disa robusta N.E.Br. is a large, showy, orange-flowered species with fleshy, nonresupinate flowers in various shades of orange, an iconic species of the Kitulo, and one of the most coveted orchids for Chikanda. This species is unknown outside of sub-Saharan Africa, and its large tubers make it one of the main targets of orchid poachers. Although it never occurred in dense colonies like S. monadenum, it could be found throughout the park. Not a day went by where we did not see it punctuating the roadsides and distant grasslands. Other orchids that turned out to be widespread in the park included the showy and fragrant (at night) Habenaria macrura Kraenzl., and the small flowered Orthochilus odontoglossa (Rchb. f.)Bytebier(syn. Eulophia shupangae (Rchb. f) Kraenzl.), with flowers of either bright yellow, brick red, or “black velvet” growing in a variety of habitats, but especially abundant on upland areas that become parched during the dry season. The different color forms of this species were often found in separate populations, but the “brick red” color form was suggestive of hybridization between the yellow and “black velvet” color forms. Also abundant on the plateau was the small pink-to-white flowered Satyrium neglectum Schltr. This widespread species is more commonly associated with the South African orchid flora, existing at the edge of its range in the highlands of tropical east Africa, and a direct link to the rich South African flora.
[7] A rare yellow form of Eulophia odontoglossa.
Numerous wetlands and seepage bogs can be found lacing through the Kitulo and are rich orchid habitats. Growing in particularly wet flushes in many places along the main road through the park was the impressively large Satyrium crassicaule Rendle. The nearly 4.9-foot (1.5 m)-tall fluorescent pink spikes were often found lining stream courses, and it was not uncommon to see them growing in standing water. The species was often found growing on low sphagnum hummocks and formed large clumps of flowering stems. A main distinguishing characteristic separating this species from most of the other species Satyrium in the area is the emergence of the flower stalk from within the leaf rosette, as opposed to on a separate stalk from the leaves, which is typical of Satyrium species that inhabit drier ecotones on the Kitulo.
[8] Satyrium neglectum on the Kitulo Plateau.
It was not until we started to explore the numerous seepage wetlands of the park that we began to witness the staggering orchid diversity. From a distance, these areas look like nothing but luxuriant stands of green grass. Upon entering them, it becomes clear that they are the preferred habitat of many different orchids. In a place known as Mwakipembo Swamp, we found at least 18 species of orchids groing, with most of them in flower. The list includes Cynorkis anacamptoides, Disa erubescens ssp. erubescens, D. erubescens ssp. carsonii, D. erubescens ssp. erubescens × D. erubescens ssp. carsonii, D. hircicornis, D. elongatum, D. robusta, Habenaria attentuata, H. macrura, Holothrix nyasae, Satyrium crassicaule, S. lonicauda, S. monadenum, S. neglectum, S. princeae, S. robustum and S. sceptrum. This is in addition to a variety of other yet-to-flower orchid species that would peak later in the season.
[9] Cynorkis anacamptoides
In the most saturated parts of the Mwakipembo swamp, there was an abundance of the already encountered S. crassicaule, but the related Satyrium robustum Schltr. was a personal favorite with uniquely hued, scarlet-pink spires of flowers so intensely colored that they appeared to glow among the surrounding grasses. Growing with the Satyrium were Disa erubescens Rendle and D. erubescens subsp. carsonii (N.H.Br.) H.P. Linder (syn. D. stolzii Schltr.) and what appeared to be a hybrid between them, all bearing few-flowered spikes of nonresupinate flowers with characteristically constricted, spatulate-shaped dorsal sepals with conspicuous spurs. Some orchids were almost weedlike in their abundance, including the tiny-flowered, but conspicuous Cynorkis anacamptoides Kraenzl. and the bright green whips of Habenaria attenuata Hook.f. Despite the relative abundance of orchids in the Mwakipembo swamp, our travels would ultimately indicate this to be a rare example of an unadulterated grassland seepage swamp, a formerly more widespread habitat that has largely been altered or destroyed in other parts of the highlands.
[10] Disa erubescens photographed on the Kitulo Plateau.
The transitional ecotones along the fringes of these wetlands were also ideal orchid habitats and support several Satyrium species. One of the most abundant was the brown, white and greenflowered curiosity Satyrium elongatum Rolfe, growing intermingled with just beginning to flower individuals of Satyrium sceptrum Schltr. The most conspicuous Satyrium flowering in this habitat was the highlighter-pink S. princeae Kraenzl., easily identified from most other species by its single prostrate, basal leaf. We also found several species that were about to flower, including Holothrix aff. nyasae and what appeared to be 2–3 additional Disa or Satyrium species just emerging from dormancy. One of these was likely to be Satyrium chlorocorys Rchb.f. ex. Rolfe, which is known to be common on the Kitulo. Despite the homogenous appearance of the landscape, it was clear that subtle changes in elevation and moisture conditions resulted in subtle ecological partitioning of the orchids into favored ecological niches.
[11] A yellow form of Disa erubescens ssp. caronii.
We spent the following days summitting and exploring the 9,810 ft (2,990 m) Mount Mtwori, the highest peak associated with the plateau and the northern terminus of the plateau known as the Matamba ridge. We found several orchids on and around the summit, but nothing like the orchid paradise that early orchid explorer Mary Livingstone had noted. We suspect that our timing may have been too early for peak flowering of many of the orchids, because we primarily found only the emerging foliage of what may have been Disa ukingensis Schltr. However, Satyrium monadenum was flowering in abundance on and around the peak. The most impressive find from this area was a peachy-pink flowered morph of Satyrium monadenum that was a true color break for the species and the only individual of its type we witnessed. On the descent from the peak, we encountered robust colonies of the dainty, bright yellow orchid Schizochilus sulphureus Schltr. growing on permanently wet, almost bare rocks in thin layers of humus encrusted with bryophytes. This species appears to be a habitat specialist, occurring only in similar habitats in scattered locations throughout the Kitulo.
[12] A purple form of Disa hircicornis photographed near the village of Wasa.
The rocky habitats of the Matamba ridge are similar to the summit of Mt. Mtwori. We were only able to find the emerging leaves of what appeared to be a D. ukingensis again, but the indication was that we were too early at the higher elevation sites for the orchids. It appeared that even a slight change in elevation above the plateau impacted the seasonality of plants growing there, with peak flowering of orchids occurring later in the year (March). One noteworthy find from a small area at the northwest end of the ridge was Moraea callista. This iris-like species and cousin of orchids was in full flower with photogenic flowers of white and blue–purple. In March of 2025, we plan to return to the Matamba Ridge to search for additional orchids.
[13] Holothrix nyassae on the Kitulo Plateau.
The next couple of days were spent retracing the Mwakipembo swamp and associated wetlands and geotagging orchid populations. These populations were marked for future seed collections to seed banking and propagation efforts mentioned previously. In conjunction with the National Park office and park rangers, we identified 28 populations of orchids, including rare color morphs of Satyrium monadenum for future seed collection.
[14] Satyrium longicauda
MBEYA PEAK After leaving the Kitulo, we headed northwest to the small town of Mbeya, not far from the border with Zambia, and situated between Lake Rukwa and Lake Nyassa. Overlooking the town is Mbeya Peak, one of the highest peaks in Tanzania at 9,810 ft (2,990 m). The peak is known for the occurrence of four endemic species, all of which are of immediate conservation concern: Disa walteri Schltr. and Satyrium johnsonii Rolfe are considered critically endangered and Satyrium aberrans Summerh. and S. comptum Summerh. are considered endangered (IUCN). These orchids have limited representation in herbaria, having only been collected in 1960 at the time of discovery, and again in 2005, when a team of orchid scientists rediscovered all of them except for S. johnsonii (Van der Niet and Gehrke, 2005). These orchids are all known to flower in March. Despite this, we decided to climb the peak to determine if the orchids could be found earlier in the season and perhaps flower over a longer period than originally thought. We were also curious to understand the condition of the ecosystem and to determine what other orchids might be growing there.
[15] Satyrium princeae
We were able to locate several species of interest growing on the peak, but the timing of our Mbeya visit proved to be too early when it came to locating the four endemic orchids of interest. The grasslands around the summit appeared to suffer from intense grazing pressure, but we were still able to find healthy colonies of Satyrium monadenum. We found other plants, such as the stunning gesneriad Streptocarpus eylesii ssp. brevistylus and grassland plants such as Dierama pendulum, indicating that that portion of the habitat remains intact. We plan to return to Mbeya in March 2025 to look for the orchids when they typically flower.
[16] Satyrium sceptrum
MPANGA - KIPENGERE GAME RESERVE Our next location was where the main portion of Kipengere highlands, or Poroto Mountains, are found. This is east of Mbeya and north of the Kitulo Plateau in the Mpanga-Kipengere Game Reserve. This diverse region also occurs within the highlands region of southern Tanzania, but it offers much greater topographical relief compared to the Kitulo plateau of continuous grasslands. There is a corresponding mosaic of ecosystems, ecotones, habitats, and plant species.
[17] Schizochilus sulphureus photographed on the Kitulo Plateau.
The flora at the park entrance was low elevation Miombo forest, and although not a good habitat for orchids, it was rich in geophytes such as Ledebouria and the uniquely attractive Costus spectabilis. In addition, there were many succulents, including Adenia, Aloe and Euphorbia. As we continued south into the park, we slowly gained elevation and the flora began to change, becoming a mix of grassy wetlands and Miombo forest dotted with enormous termite mounds. Eventually, we came to a new road, built in the time since Robert and Barry had visited the park the previous June, which cut directly into previously undisturbed habitat. We rapidly gained elevation, and not long into the drive, we found many plants of interest, including the unusual Brachycorythis friesii (Schltr.) Summerh., growing by the thousands in seasonally wet, perched wetlands in shades of white, pink and lavender, and bearing a superficial similarity to the Asian species Ponerorchis graminifolia. This proved to be one of the most abundant orchids we would find throughout the reserve, and each of the wetlands was filled with thousands of their tiny, extremely variable flowers.
[18] Brachycorythis friesii
We continued to gain elevation, and the landscape became even more floristically diverse. We encountered scattered flowering specimens of yardtall (meter-tall) Eulophia cucullata (Afzel. Ex Sw.) Steud. At the perimeter of these wet grasslands was another Habenaria species with green flowers growing among interesting Asclepiads in the genus Glossostelma. Further down the road, we found thousands of plants of Platycoryne cf. ambigua (Kraenzl.) Summerh. and Habenaria goetzeana Kraenzl. growing luxuriantly in open meadows with a rich assortment of herbaceous species. This was also the only place where we found an epiphytic orchid species in the preserve. Stout plants of Tridactyle tricuspis (Bolus) D’haijère & Stévart were growing on large flat-topped acacia trees and must be among the most drought-tolerant species of the Angraecoid Alliance.
[19] Eulophia aff. cucullata
We drove to the end of the yet-tobe completed road and turned around. After a short time, we discovered that, to our surprise, the road was still under construction. Since we had passed in the morning, crews of road workers had started to install culverts in the road, and by the time we reached them they had already dug yard-wide (meter-wide) deep ditches across the road, rendering it impassable. To complicate the situation, the road verges were extremely wet, soft, deep mud and gravel, leaving us no clear path to drive around the ditch. The only option was to use the winch on the Land Cruiser and slug our way through the deep mud of the roadside. After a significant amount of effort and a couple of hours, we were able to free the vehicle from the deep mud at the roadside and continue our journey. To our dismay, we twice encountered the same situation before we could exit the reserve and make our way back to the lodge. Fortunately, we were able to pass the others without much difficulty because of the solid rock at the edge of the road. What a relief!
[20] Platycoryne ambigua
AROUND MAFINGA For the next several days, we used the timber town of Mafinga as a base camp to support a series of day trips to various places in the region where Barry and Robert previously encountered orchids. Of primary interest were the seasonally wet meadows in the vicinity of the village of Wasa, Makombe, and the famous wetlands of Sao Hill.
[21] Habenaria goetzeana
SAO HILL We started and ended work in this region in a place called Sao Hill. Sao Hill gradually rises to the southwest of Mafinga around 5,905 ft (1,800 m). Historically, it is one of the most well documented regions in the southern highlands for early orchid collections and the initial understanding of orchid diversity in the southern highlands. Herbarium specimens collected by Margaret Taylor, Dr. Phil Cribb and Dr. C. Grey-Wilson in the 1950s and 1980s indicate that this area is not only exceptional in the number of taxa, but also in the expansiveness of the orchid populations found there. Today, this area has been transformed into a mosaic of managed forests of Eucalyptus citriodorus and Pinus patula on upland areas, interspersed with nearly untouched, hyperdiverse grasslands and wetlands, many of which are still extremely orchid-rich.
[22] Satyrium trinerve photographed at Sao Hill.
Entering the site requires permission and an escort from a forest ranger. This required several hours at the forest office. However, as soon as we entered the natural areas, we started encountering plants of interest. The charismatic amaryllid, Boophone disticha, with yard-wide (meter-wide) showy glaucous-blue leaves arranged in a fanlike pattern, first caught our attention and signaled that other interesting plants could be found nearby. Nearby were the deep blue-purple flowers of Thunbergia aff. natalensis, the common but variable Gloriosa superba, and the only orchid we encountered growing in such dry places, Brachycorythis pilosa Summerh. Further down the slopes we found Satyrium elongatum again, growing in shaded areas near the edge of forest; just within the borders of the forest was a large Habenaria species not quite in flower, but growing very abundantly with Dahlia imperialis, a cherished rarity in western gardens, but an emerging invasive species in southern Tanzania. As we entered the open grassy areas between the forest and wetland, we began to encounter several more orchid species, some in large numbers. The most conspicuous of these were what appeared to be Disa erubescens subsp. carsonii and D. erubescens. The plants here were uniformly bright orange in flower color and there appeared to be some intermediate forms. The hybrid between these species from the Sao Hill has been published in the past. At the very edge of the wetland, growing in wetter places than the previous two species, we found a few individuals of Disa cryptantha Summerh., a diminutive species with pale orange, spotted, nonresupinate flowers. This is the only place we found this uncommon species. From here we transitioned to other parts of Sao Hill to search for other species of orchids.
[23] Habenaria praestans
For the next couple of days, we continued to search other parts of Sao Hill, but we focused our attention on ecotonal areas where the drier hills transitioned into wetlands. These areas revealed orchid species we had not previously encountered. The first was the conspicuous Satyrium trinerve Lindl., a white and yellow flowered species, which is unique because the large bracts subtending the flowers are mostly white, highly contrasting yellow and white flowers, and making it stand out from all other Satyrium species on this expedition. It is also one of the main species sought for chikanda production. Our documentation of this population is important, as team members can return to collect seed. The adjacent wetland supported a different flora from the neighboring grassland, where S. trinerve was growing. My initial motivation for this path was to get a closer look at what appeared to be, and was, a 6.55-foot-tall (2-m) yet-to-be identified gladiolus species that had already flowered. While studying these, a few scattered orchid inflorescences with lacy, chartreuse colored flowers came into view. This turned out to be another new orchid for the trip, Habenaria praestans Rendle, a tall-growing, dramatic species with large, deeply filigreed chartreuse labellum. This would be the only place we found this species. As we trudged out of the wetland, yet another new-to-thetrip orchid appeared, and another of the species I was most hoping to see in Tanzania — Satyrium coriophorides A. Rich., one of the several brilliantly red-flowered taxa and part of an apparent complex involving several species. The conspicuously hooded, relatively small flowers, and habitat preference distinguish it from related taxa found at higher elevations to the south. The next days were spent in other locations within a day’s drive from Mafinga to search for orchids.
[24] Satyrium coriophoroides
MAKOMBE Makombe is a remote village on the outskirts of a valley with a seasonal wetland during the rainy season. Previous field work in the region for Sansevieria revealed the presence of orchids during the dry season, evident by their spent flower heads. We obtained permission from the head of the local village to enter the site. Heavy grazing pressure was evident as soon as we entered, but we did manage to find some orchids. One exciting discovery was a colony of an unspotted, yellow-flowered form of Disa erubescens ssp. carsonii, described previously as “var. lutescens,” a rarely encountered, novel flower form of this typically orange-flowered species.
[25] Satyrium coriophoroides at Sao Hill.
WASA During the next few days, we made daily excursions to the village of Wasa. Barry and Robert had previously visited this area looking for Sansevieria but also noted an abundance of senesced orchid plants during their excursions. Although not a nature reserve, and therefore, unfortunately, not protected, the waterfilled meadows around Wasa turned out to be some of the most orchid-rich habitats of the entire expedition. We met with Paolo, a local guide who was also the former village leader. He lived in Wasa his entire life and was intimately familiar with the surrounding natural areas. Before we even reached Wasa and our meeting location with Paolo, we started to see orchids along the roadside. First was more of a slightly different form of Satyrium coriophoroides A. Rich. with a slightly differently shaped lip and maroon, reflexed floral bracts compared with what we saw in Sao Hill with large green shield-like floral bracts. We saw only a handful of these plants at Sao Hill, but it was much more abundant around Wasa. Thousands of plants dotted throughout the expansive seasonally wet grasslands. As we continued toward the village, we stopped to pick up Paolo, and he guided us to the next locations. The closer we got to the village, the more of the natural landscape we encountered. Our first foray was into a portion of the wet meadow, where we explored the valley, dotted with huge termite mounds. We immediately encountered hundreds more S. coriophoroides, in addition to the previously unseen Habenaria weberiana Schltr., and the small, but brilliant orange flowered Platycoryne cf. crocea Rolfe growing by the thousands, Eulophia cucullata (Afzel. Ex SW.) Steud., and Satyrium neglectum. One of the most conspicuous orchids, Habenaria walleri Rchb.f. was growing in disturbed sites along the road. The low hills adjacent to the vast wetlands were covered in Miombo forest and rich in Asclepiads, a variety of other herbaceous plants, and two flowering plants of Satyrium carsonii Rolfe.
[26] Habenaria weberiana at Wasa.
At the edge of the village was one of the most orchid-rich areas we encountered. In these wet meadows, within a stone’s throw of the mud brick and tin roof houses of the village center, we found meadows filled with species we had not seen previously. The most interesting and beautiful of these were two of the “blue” disas: D. equestris Rchb.f. and D. hircicornis Rchb.f. These stunningly beautiful species were rare, with a few scattered individuals of D. equestris and only a single flowering specimen of D. hircicornis. Other orchids growing in this meadow included Brachycorythis pubescens, Liparis nervosa (Thunb.) Lindl., and Satyrium longicauda Lindl. At this point, we turned around for the long ride back to Mafinga, content with a day well spent documenting our newly encountered orchid species. Time spent in Wasa is among the highlights of the trip, however, this habitat is under extreme pressure because of the rapid conversion of the land to agricultural fields to support the growing population of the village. What seemed like a pristine natural area worthy of protection was instead for immediate use as farm and grazing lands for the rapidly growing village of Wasa. When we returned to Wasa in late 2024, we found that much of the grassland was converted into agricultural land within a span of only 10 months, and many of the orchids and other interesting plants were already gone.
[27] Platycoryne crocea
Before beginning the long drive back to Arusha, we made one last stop at a roadside on Sao Hill to look for orchids before leaving the highlands. This was well worth the time, as we found a small but orchid-rich strip of remnant grassland with several orchids previously seen on the trip. There were a few flowering plants of Habenaria gonatosiphon Summerh., which would be the last orchid species we documented on the trip.
[28] Disa equestris
TRIP RESULTS AND FUTURE EFFORTS This concluded the orchid scouting portion of the expedition. The last few days were spent driving north back to Arusha and on the way searching the remnant, seasonal wetlands near the city of Singida, where we were searching for the IUCN Endangered, yellow-flowered water lily Nymphaea stuhlmannii. We were able to locate the species in at least three extant populations, but it was not associated with orchids that we were able to find.
[29] Liparis nervosa
We documented 69 types of orchids on this trip. Initial identifications were made using keys in the three orchid treatments in the Flora of Tropical East Africa (Cribb 1984, 1989; Richards et al. 1968) with reference from online sources to verify updated or synonymized names (World Flora Online). Results from the trip included the collection of 385 herbarium specimens now deposited in the National Herbarium of Tanzania. We also used radio tags and GPS coordinates to mark 31 populations of orchids where the team returned in April 2023 to collect seeds to deposit at the TPHPA National Plant Genetic Resources Center, a subset of which were sent to Longwood Gardens to begin a series of in vitro seed germination experiments to research their germination and long-term storage potential. This emerging research will result in information that will support the goal of long-term, sustainable orchid production and harvesting in Tanzania, and hopefully, the protocols will be implemented in other countries as well. Preliminary research indicates that seed lots of some species, such as Satyrium monadenum and D. erubescens spp. carsonii may be easier to germinate and grow in vitro than others, such as Disa baurii, which has so far has not germinated in any treatment. This research is ongoing, and we still have many seed lots to test. After we collect more data, the results will start to be published.
[30] Habenaria gonatocarpus at Sao Hill.
References
Cribb, P. 1984. Flora of Tropical East Africa: Orchidaceae (Part 2). Balkema Publishing, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
_. 1989. Flora of Tropical East Africa: Orchidaceae (Part 3). Balkema Publishing, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Cribb, P.J. and G.P. Leedal. 1982. The Mountain Flowers of Southern Tanzania. A.A. Balkema Press, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Gattus, R. 2019. In Zambia, a Craze for a Traditional Treat is Endangering Wild Orchids, Atlas Obscura,
March 1. IUCN Red list of Threatened Species. Accessed November 7, 2024.
Richards, P.W., E. Milne-Redhead, R.M. Polhill, and V.S. Summerhayes. 1968. Flora of East Tropical Africa. Orchidaceae (Part 1). Crown Agents for Overseas Governments and Administrations, United Kingdom.
Van der Niet, T. and B. Gehrke. 2005. Rare Terrestrial Orchids on Mbeya Peak, Southern Tanzania. J. East African Natural History 94:279–285.
Veldman, S., K. Seol-Jong, T.R. Van Andel, M.B. Font, R.E. Bone, B. Bytebier, D. Chuba, B. Gravendeel, F. Martos, and G. Mpatwa. 2018. Trade in Zambian Edible Orchids—DNA Barcoding Reveals the Use of Unexpected Orchid Taxa for Chikanda. Genes 9(12):595. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes9120595
—Peter Zale, PhD holds a Master’s degree and PhD in plant breeding and genetics from the Ohio State University and is Associate Director, Conservation Horticulture and Plant Breeding at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA. Zale leads plant exploration, breeding, and conservation programs through a combination field, garden, and laboratory based activities. His work focuses on the development and implementation of a comprehensive conservation horticulture program based on U.S. native orchids. He has planned and participated in over 30 plant exploration expeditions throughout the U.S., East Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and equatorial Africa. In his spare time, he has been creating his own “private botanical garden” with extensive collections of hardy geophytes and orchids, woodland plantss, trees, shrubs, and a variety of other plants that reflect personal plant exploration efforts and interest in propagating plants from seeds. In 2024 he was awarded the AOS Philip E. Keenan Award in recognition of contributions made to native orchid conservation in North America (Email: pzale@longwoodgardens.org)
