HABITATS OF Anoectochilus setaceus, Zeuxine flava, Zeuxine regia IN KANNELIYA MAN AND BIOSPHERE RESERVE AND PEAK WILDERNESS SANCTUARY IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

Anoectochilus setaceus, Zeuxine jlava, and Zeuxine regia are threeendangered medicinal plants belong to family Orchidaceae and sub familyNeottioideae. They are widely used in traditional medicine. Due to itsbeautiful variegated leaves they are also used as ornamental plants andcommonly known as Jewel Orchids.

The Methodology used to identify the natural distribution of these specieswas field observation in the sites. In order to identify the places where thesespecies are growing knowledge of the traditional practitioners and villagepeople were used. According to literature, these species are confined totropical wet evergreen, sub montane and mid country wet ever green forests.In this study these three species were observed in particular locations inKanneliya MAB reserve and Peak Wilderness sanctuary.

Anoectochilus setaceus is a rather common species found under the shade oftrees among fallen leaves. It was found along the riverbanks in Kanneliyawhile in Peak Wilderness it was found in a valley close to a stream. Theywere confined to small patches with high humidity where it gets very lowintensity of sunlight. Number of plants, which were observed in PeakWilderness sanctuary, was high (150 plants/rrr') while it was lesser (50plants/rrr') in Kanneliya. Distance between two forest patches where A.setaceus was found was about 50m in Peak Wilderness sanctuary while itwas too far (> 100m) in Kanneliya MAB reserve. Some patches had adistance of about 2km.

Zeuxine regia was found in disturbed sites in Kanneliya MAB along the trailcloser to village, which situated at the boundary of the forest. In PeakWilderness also this species was found closer to the main trail starts fromSiripagama. These plants were found in places where there is no stream evenwithin 500m. Z. regia was found among rocks where environmentalconditions were very harsh but the soil was rather wet.

Zeuxine flava was observed along a trail situated within the village inKanneliya far away from sites where other two species were distributed.Natural abundance is comparatively low for this species. In Peak Wildernessit was found along the same trail with Z. regia and A. setaceus but indifferent pockets. Environmental conditions of Z. flava are totally differentwhen compared with the sites where other two species were found.

Anoectochilus setaceus was observed under same environmental conditionsrecorded by previous researchers, while other two species were found fromentirely different environmental conditions from recorded data. Althoughliterature reports that, Z. regia found together with A. setaceus under naturalconditions, such combinations were not observed in both forests. They werefound in entirely different locations .