Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
plants survive in the reserves around Andasibe. They normally flower from October
onwards.
Cymbidiella
orchids are also very striking; they flower from October to January.
C.
pardalina
,withitshugecrimsonlip,cohabitswithastaghornfern,while
C.falcigera
,
with black-spotted yellow flowers, prefers the exclusive company of the raffia palm.
The highlands, with their cooler and more seasonal climate, are inhabited by nu-
merous terrestrial orchids, growing in soil or leaf litter; underground tubers produce
deciduous leaves and flower stems - not dissimilar to temperate orchids.
Eulophia plantaginea
is a relatively common roadside plant; large colonies can
sometimes be found, especially in boggy areas.
Cynorkis
can also be seen along the
roads. Many are terrestrials, others grow on wet rock or in swamps. Epiphytes like
Angraecum
and
Aeranthes
can still be found in the few remaining pockets of forest in
the highlands.
Aerangis
plants are instantly recognisable by their shiny, dark green foliage. The
flowers superficially resemble those of
Angraecum
but they are often much smaller,
carriedonelegantracemes,andtheirscentisexquisite.Theplantsarecommonlyseen
in the wet shade of the rainforest reserves of Andasibe and Ranomafana.
Jumellea
are
again similar but have a narrower, folded-back single flower on a thin stem.
Bulbophyllum
orchids are easily missed by the untrained eye; their rounded, plump
pseudo-bulbs are often seen on moss-covered trees. They are always worthwhile to
investigate: small gem-like blooms may be nestled amongst the foliage.
Oeonia
with its huge white lip and two red dots on its throat can be found rambling
amongsttheundergrowth.Theapparentlybarehigherpeaksofthe
hautsplateaux
also
contain a very specialised community of orchids. The thick-leaved, sun-loving an-
graecoids and
Bulbophyllums
, known as lithophytes, share the rock faces with succu-
lents.
One of the best and easiest places to see orchids - including
Angraecum, Cymbidi-
ella
and
Gastrorchis
-isinthegroundsofhotelsandprivategardens,butonemustbe
aware that these domestic collections may contain the odd foreign interloper. Orchids
from the Orient and South America are brought in as pot plants, the flowers often be-
ing bigger and brighter than the natives'.
Note that export permits are required to transport orchids out of Madagascar.
FERNS AND CYCADS
Ferns were in their heyday before Gondwana was even formed.
Their best efforts were the impressive
treeferns,
which had large spreading fronds sprout-
ing from a tall, scaly stem. These structures created vast forests in all warm, humid areas
during the Carboniferous, 350 million years ago. Although they eventually lost ground to
seed-bearing plants during the age of the dinosaurs, it is a credit to their design that they
are still abundant and successful. Indeed the soft, symmetrical foliage of ferns very much
