The Diversity of Tropical Orchids of South Papua

Papua is an area with very wide range, from lowland with altitude 0 m to highland area with 4730 m above sea level. Orchids species constitute the greater part of orchids diversity, which can grow on the bare branches of tall trees, or embedded in moss dripping in wet and cool mountain forests, as well as in the eternal shade of tropical rain forest. Numerous plants world-wide are threatened with extinction because of degradation or destruction of their habitat. Orchids are among the most threatened plants of all, especially when pressure from dealers and collectors aggravales the problems. South Papua is a lowland area with the elevation around 0-7 m above sea level, temperature 23-300 C, and 1500 m rainfall per year. The aims of these investigations were to explore the diversity of tropical orchids in South Papua. The exploration and collection were done in Asmat, Boven Digul, Mappi, and Merauke. The study found 22 genera and 75 species, mostly are epiphytic.


INTRODUCTION
Tropical orchids constitute the greater part of orchid diversity,that can be found in anywhere in the world.It is the world's largest plant family and contains over 25.000 species, and 5.000 species were found in Indonesia.Comber (1990) reported that in Java there are more than 731 species orchids which almost 231 species are endemic.For the rest areas of Indonesia, information about orchids remained uncompleted.It is not about their biology that attracts people to orchids, but above all their beauty, strangeness, the wonderful diversity in shape and colour of their flowers that enchants people.Beside that the chemical constituent of orchids like alkaloid, flavonoid, terpenoid and steroid were used in chinese medicines (Kenneth,1987;Bulpitt et.al. 2007;Kong et al, 2003).Therefore cultivated orchids are more attractive for many people (Moelyono, 1999).
In Papua, about 3000 orchids species are found.The two genera are the biggest, Bulbophyllum is about 569 species and Dendrobium 512 species (Millar, 1978).The exploration of orchids in Papua remains uncompleted due to a complicated geographic mosaic.Some orchid species have restricted ranges as a consequence of the complex geologic history of the island and its numerous barriers to dispersals.South Papua namely Merauke (city and regency) and the establishment of new regencies Asmat, Mappi, and Boven Digul are the large areas share a similar monsoon, 0 to 7 m altitude and soil type.Information about the orchids of Papua including these areas is currently scattered in a small number of publications, and rather difficult to obtain in Papua.This research intend to provide a basic tools to residents of the four regencies to assist them recognizing and identifying the local orchids in the wild.And also make local people aware of the treasures that are still living in their

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Survey was done in four regencies: Asmat, Boven Digul, Mappi and Merauke.In Asmat, the samples were collected from Ewer, Agats, along the Pek river and Sawaerma.In Boven Digul, it taken in Mindiptana and Tanah Merah.In Mappi, survey was done in Kampung Fumu, Etci, Obaa, dan Kampong Lama.Lastly in Identification of natural orchids using Flora Malesiana Orchids of New Guinea series I-VI.Orchids of Papua New Guinea an Introduction.(Millar, 1978), Orchid of Java (Comber, 1990), Key to

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Tropical orchids found in lowland areas of Papua are 24 genera and 75 species, which genus Dendrobium is the larger number 33 species followed by Bulbophyllum 10 species (Table 1).Whereas the rest is only 1 to 2 species each genus.Only 76% among them are identified, and 24% are remained unidentified.Burok et al (2009) whose studied about orchid Domestication in Merauke species possess no horticultural value (Figure 1), some are high sough after by dealers and collectors (Figure 2).Study on orchids in other areas of Papua were done by some researchers like  Dendrobium nindii., and f.Dendrobium spectabile.Wafom (2002) worked on epiphyte orchid in some islands of Ayamaru lake.He found 5 genera and 18 species of epiphyte orchids.Sihombing & Lestari (2002) observed 35 species in many places namely Merauke, Biak, Sorong, and Paniai.These days numerous plants world wide are threatened with extinction because of degradation or even total destruction of their habitats including in South Papua.Its happened also in Cycloop Nature Reserve on Terrestrial Orchids status (Lugrayasa, 2004;Agustini et al., 2008).The problem is particularly acute in region with a high biodiversity like Papua.Orchids are among the most threatened plants of all, especially when pressure from collectors aggravales the problems.
In the case of South Papua region, the establishment of new regencies and the future plan of being New Province even worse that might faced by diversity of orchid species.Some genera are not to everybody's taste but these are important for the ecology and the botanic point of view.These species must have caused quite a stir among orchid botanist but the sad fact is that they all perished fairly quickly.Some of rare orchid species from South Papua became available to amateur and professional orchid growers mostly outside Papua.Some species that used to easily seen found in the wild, recently hardly seen in these areas.So many species have been removed from the wild.According to Schuiteman & de Vogel (2000) in population size, this could lead to total extinction, even if the remaining specimens were strictly protected.
From the exploration study, it is difficult to tell which particular orchid species and genera are becoming scarce in the wild and request protection, how huge the diversity of orchid mycorrhizal in nature, and what kind of chemical constituents of orchid species we have in the wild.Our knowledge of the distribution and ecology of South Papua orchids is still highly incomplete.It is an urgent task to study and document these patterns before it is too late.

CONCLUSION
In this investigation 24 genera and 75 orchid species were collected from Asmat, Boven Digul, Mappi, and Merauke in 5 months.Among them, which species and genera are becoming scarce and require special protection are difficult to tell.Dendrobium, 32 species, and Bulbophyllum, 10 species, are the two bigger species found in the study site.Some genera and species possess no horticultural value, some are high sough after by dealers and collectors but maybe equally at risk because of exacting habitat requirements.There are still numerous undiscovered and unexplained patterns in the distribution of wild orchids in South Papua.

Table 1 .
List of genera, species, synonym and section of the orchids of South Papua.

Table 1 .
Continued ...... Regency found only ten orchids species have been domesticated by local people.Some genera and