The Exotic Pencil Orchid That Is Endangered, BKSDA Collaborates With Bengkulu University To Do Cultivation

Pencil orchid (Papillionanthe hookerina), an endemic flower of Lake Dendam Tak Already in Bengkulu. ANTARA/HO-BKSDA Bengkulu

BENGKULU - The Bengkulu Province Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) will develop a pencil orchid (Papillionanthe Hookerina) typical of Bengkulu which is currently threatened with extinction.

The head of the Bengkulu Province BKSDA, Donal Hutasoit, said that currently the Bengkulu BKSDA and Bengkulu University will cultivate pencil orchids.

"We are working with Unib to develop pencil orchid flowers through utilization through cultivation", said Donal in Bengkulu, Antara, Sunday, March 20.

The development of the orchid flower was carried out so that the typical pencil orchid of Bengkulu Province which can only be found in the Dusun Besar Nature Reserve does not become extinct.

Currently, the pencil orchid flower is difficult to find in the nature reserve area, so his party is trying to develop the flower in the BKSDA greenhouse.

Pencil orchids are often found in nature reserves, especially in the Lake Dendam Tak Already area which has an area of 557 hectares and 67 hectares of water surface area.

According to Donal, currently, part of the Dusun Besar nature reserve has changed its status to the Danau Dendam Nature Tourism Park (TWA).

With the change in status, the existence of the pencil orchid in the Lake Dendam area is slightly threatened because of the development in the TWA area.

"But the change in status is also the main attraction so that the pencil orchid is better known by the wider community", he said.

It is known, based on historical literature in 1882, the British colonial government crowned the pencil orchid as Queen of Orchids and received a First Class certificate.

The name pencil orchid is given because the shape of the leaves is thin and elongated like a pencil and the flower color of the plant is a combination of white and purple.