BIODIVERSITAS
ISSN: 1412-033X
Volume 18, Number 1, January 2017 E-ISSN: 2085-4722
Pages: 341-350 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d180145
Orchid inventory in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park,
South Sulawesi, Indonesia
DWI MURTI PUSPITANINGTYAS
Center for Plant Conservation-Bogor Botanical Gardens, Indonesian Institute of Sciences. Jl. Ir. H. Djuanda No. 13, Paledang, Bogor 16122, West Java,
Indonesia. Tel. +62-251-8322187, Fax. +62-251-8322187,
♥
email: puspitakrb@yahoo.com
Manuscript received: 3 November 2016. Revision accepted: 18 January 2017.
Abstract. Puspitaningtyas DM. 2017. Orchid inventory in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Biodiversitas 18: 341-350. Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, commonly abbreviated as Babul National Park, is in South
Sulawesi. It occupies an area of 43,750 hectares between 119
o
34'17"-119
o
55'13" East and 4
o
42'49"-5
o
06'42" South. Babul National Park
is an area in the transition zone between Asia and Australia and therefore has a unique flora and fauna. The study reported here aimed to
inventory the orchid species in the Babul National Park area and to determine the orchid diversity in the area. The results of the study
recorded approximately 60 orchid species found in Babul National Park. These were representative of 32 genera and consisted of 42
species of epiphytic orchids and 18 species of terrestrial orchids. The terrestrial orchid Habenaria beccarii and the epiphytic orchid
Aerides inflexa were the most common orchids found, and were spread evenly throughout the Babul National Park area. Coelogyne
celebensis and Aerides inflexa are endemic orchids of Sulawesi found within the Park. Three species of the genus Nervilia, i.e. N.
punctata, N. plicata, and N. aragoana, were also found in this area. Some species of orchid such as Tropidia angulosa, Coelogyne
rumphii and Dendrobium lampongense were found as new records in Sulawesi.
Keywords: Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, inventory, orchid, South Sulawesi
INTRODUCTION
Indonesia has two of the 25 biodiversity hotspots in the
world; Sundaland and Wallacea. Sulawesi Island is the
largest island in Wallacea and the most geologically
complex. It has a mix of oriental and Australian fauna and
is location in which various types of endemic fauna have
evolved (Coates et al. 2000). Up until now, the flora of
Sulawesi has been recognized as unique and very diverse
but much of this diversity has yet to be revealed. Schlechter
(1925) estimated the number of endemic orchids of
Sulawesi to be around 253 species, which significantly
exceeded the estimate of 161 species recorded by Smith
(1929). In the most recent review of the subject (Thomas
and Schuiteman 2002), a preliminary study on the
inventory of orchids in Sulawesi and Maluku, a total of 820
species were recorded of which 60% (548 species) are
found in Sulawesi.
Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, commonly
abbreviated as Babul NP, was proposed as a conservation
area or national park by the Ministry of Forestry Number:
SK.398 / Menhut-II/2004 on October 18th, 2004. The area
of the Park covers ± 43,750 ha (Rais et al. 2007).
Administratively, the national park is located in the
governmental districts of Maros District and Pangkajene
Kepulauan (Pangkep) District, of South Sulawesi Province,
Indonesia. Geographically, Babul NP is located between
119 ° 34'11 "-119 ° 55'13" E and 4 ° 43'10 "-5 ° 07'12" S.
Babul NP is a unique environment, based largely on on
karst formations, with caves that have beautiful stalactites.
It is a recognized habitat for large butterfly populations,
which result in Bantimurung being known as the ‘The
Kingdom of Butterflies’. There are about 103 species of
butterflies endemic to Sulawesi (Rais et al. 2007).
Exploration and research is an important step in efforts
to safeguard plant diversity, including by methods of ex
situ plant conservation. Botanical gardens as ex situ
conservation institutions have an important role in plant
species conservation, and in carrying out population
studies, plant propagation, breeding, and reintroduction,
which can also be broadly beneficial for the advancement
of scientific knowledge. The aim of the research reported
here was to inventory orchid diversity within the
Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park (Babul NP) in
South Sulawesi, Indonesia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The research was conducted in Bantimurung-
Bulusaraung National Park (Babul NP), between March 15
and April 3, 2012. The objective was to observe orchid
diversity in Babul NP. The exploration activity was based
on plant collection by purposive random sampling
(Partomihardjo and Rahajoe 2005). This was supplemented
with environment data measured in Babul NP, such as
elevation, humidity, temperature, soil acidity etc. The
exploration activities were conducted at four locations:
Tompo Bulu, Pattunuang, Bentenge, and Karaenta (Figure
1). The live material collected was mostly planted out in
Bogor Botanical Gardens for ex situ conservation purposes.
Such plant collections only have scientific value if they are
BIODIVERSITAS
18 (1): 341-350, January 2017
342
complemented by informative data such as the sites of
collection and the conditions of the natural habitats. For
orchids collected not in flower, it is usually only possible
for an initial identification to be made to genus level. To
identify to species level, it is usually necessary to observe
the flower morphology. Identification methods used were
by literature review (Sweet 1980; Comber 1990;
Seidenfaden and Wood 1992; Gravendeel and de Vogel
2000; Comber 2001) and by reference to herbarium
specimens in the Herbarium Bogoriense and or living
collections in the Bogor Botanical Gardens. Valid names
were attributed based on the current listings in The Plant
List (2013) (www.theplantlist.org). Plants were only
sampled and collected for those species that were abundant
in the field, so as to support in situ preservation of the
species. Some rare species were not sampled and were only
recorded or photographed for documentation.
Figure 1. Location of exploration activities in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. A. Pattunuang, B.
Karaenta, C. Tompo Bulu, D. Bentenge
A
B
C
D
PUSPITANINGTYAS – Orchid inventory in Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park, Indonesia
343
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Sixty species of Orchidaceae were identified in the
results of the inventory of Babul NP. The species were
from 32 genera (Figure 2) and comprised 42 species of
epiphytic orchid and 18 species of terrestrial orchid. Details
of the species found along with their habitus and locations
of discovery are presented in Table 1. The habitat
conditions in four locations: Tompo Bulu, Pattunuang,
Bentenge, and Karaenta are recorded as secondary data for
completing information. The habitat in Tompo Bulu is
described as disturbed secondary forest. Exploration in this
habitat was carried out at an altitude between 539 and 826
m above sea level (m asl.); the degree of soil acidity (soil
pH) was 6.5 and humidity (RH) was 85%. The habitat in
Pattunuang is described as disturbed primary forest
growing on karst rock terrain. Exploration here was carried
out at an altitude between 60 and 167 m asl., soil pH was
6.2 and RH was 75%. The habitat in Bentenge is described
as disturbed secondary forest. Exploration was carried out
at an altitude between 793 and 800 m asl., the soil pH was
6.5; RH was 85%. The habitat in Karaenta is described as
disturbed primary forest growing on karst rock terrain.
Exploration was carried out at an altitude between 275 and
318 m asl., soil pH was 6.2; RH was 75%.
Terrestrial orchid
There were about 60 species of the Orchidaceae family
in Babul NP, consists of 42 species of epiphytic orchids
and 18 species of terrestrial orchids. Among 18 species
terrestrial orchid in Babul NP, the most common terrestrial
orchids was Crepidium spp. which is formerly known as
Malaxis. Generally orchids were not found in flowering
condition, so species name could not be identified. One
species of terrestrial orchids was Malaxis latifolia Sm.
which is now a synonym of Dienia ophrydis (J.Koenig)
Seidenf. In Karaenta, Babul NP, Tropida angulosa (Lindl.)
Bl. more commonly grow solitary and spread. Only some
orchids species which are unique, endemic, attractive, or
important information as new record will be described in
this paper (Figure 3).
Tropidia angulosa (Lindl.) Bl.
The genus Tropidia is generally characterized by tough,
hard stems and by small stature. Tropidia angulosa has a
height of 15-20 cm and has no storage organ. So it is quite
sensitive and tends to die if deprived of its roots. Its stem is
erect or creeps on the ground; sometimes it is branched,
each stem or branch bearing two leaves at the top. Leaves
are plicate, ovate, acuminate, 12 x 7 cm. Inflorescence is
terminal, on the top between two leaves, with a ± 5 cm
peduncle and a ± 6 cm rachis that supports 8-16 flowers,
even reaching 20-30 flowers (Comber 1990). Flowers are
white or pale yellow, not fully open, flower size is very
small, 1-2 cm wide across. The lip is lanceolate, pure white
or with an orange blotch near the apex.
Tropidia angulosa commonly grows near sea level up
to 1,200 m asl. (Comber 1990; Puspitaningtyas et al. 2013),
in forests with moderate humidity, or in shady places that
are a bit dark. It has a widespread distribution from India,
Burma, Malaysia, Sumatra, to Java (Comber 1990) and is
now reported in Sulawesi as a new record.
Habenaria beccarii Schltr.
Habenaria beccarii is a very specific kind of orchid. It
grows on rocky soil as a terrestrial, dispersed evenly across
almost every area of Babul NP, in Tompo Bulu,
Pattunuang, and Karaenta, at an altitude below 800 m asl..
Its habitat is karst hills, in humid, shady forest. This orchid
species is endemic to the Wallacea region comprising
Sulawesi and Moluccas.
Habenaria beccarii is a terrestrial orchid of small
stature, about 2-20 cm high, bearing 4-5 leaves, linear-
lanceolate, acuminate, sessile, positioned along the whole
length of the stem. The inflorescence is terminal, errect,
with peduncle about 15-36 cm length, bearing 5-17 white
flowers on a rachis 4-12 cm. The dorsal sepals, are green,
forming a hood over the column, in combination with white
petals, and with lateral sepals ovate, acuminate, white. The
lip is trilobed, about 2.5-3 cm broad; the side lobes broad
with deeply toothed margins into filiform segments, 15-20
segments; the mid-lobe is narrow and entire, 0.5-0.6 cm
long. Spur is 3-4 cm long, white at the base and half green
to the tip.
This species from Sulawesi was at one time identified
with the wrong name as
Habenaria medioflexa Turrill
(Yuzammi and Hidayat 2002) or Habenaria medusa
Kraenzl. (Hartini and Puspitaningyas 2005; Puspitaningtyas
et al. 2013). After detailed observation on flower
morphology, H. beccarii was found to be different from
both H. medioflexa and H. medusa, based on the shape of
the flower’s lip. Furthermore, the distribution of H.
medioflexa is commonly in mainland Asia such as
Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia
(Seidenfaden and Wood 1992); while the distribution of H.
medusa is in Sumatra, Borneo, Java, as well as Sulawesi
(Comber 1990; Kurzweil 2009).
The terrestrial orchid genus Nervilia, is represented in
Babul NP by as many as three species; namely, N.
punctata, N. plicata, and N. aragoana. The population of
N. punctata was found to be most abundant in Karaenta, It
has creeping stolon tubers. N. aragoana has populations
not as abundant as the former species but is more widely
spread, being found in Karaenta, Pattunuang, and Tompo
Bulu. The pattern of growth of Nervilia is similar in the
area of Lambusango-Kakenauwe Nature Reserve as on the
island of Buton, Southeast Sulawesi (Puspitaningtyas
2011).
Nervilia plicata (Andrews) Schltr.
The uniqueness of this terrestrial orchids is in its leaves.
The leaf is shaped like a heart, cordate, apex acute; petiole
is erect, green, 1-3 cm, green with white or yellowish
blotches, sometimes with purple blotches, both sides hairy,
with many curved veins raised alternately above and
below, plicate, 10-14 cm broad. The inflorescence is 8-12
cm, bearing 2 flowers; with peduncle dark green or pale
brown. The flower is pale brown with a white lip; flowers
BIODIVERSITAS
18 (1): 341-350, January 2017
344
Table 1. Orchids in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Name of species Habitus
Locations in Babul NP
Tompo Bulu Pattunuang Bentenge Karaenta
Abdominea minimiflora (Hook.f.) J.J. Sm. Epiphytes +
Aerides inflexa Teijsm. & Binn. Epiphytes + +
Aerides sp. Epiphytes + +
Agrostophyllum (tenue) Epiphytes +
Ascocentrum miniatum (Lindl.) Schltr. Epiphytes +
Bulbophyllum sp.1 Epiphytes +
Bulbophyllum sp.2 Epiphytes +
Calanthe triplicata (Willemet) Ames Terrestrial +
Cleisostoma subulatum Blume Epiphytes +
Coelogyne celebensis J.J.Sm. Epiphytes +
Coelogyne rumphii Lindl. Epiphytes +
Corymborkis veratrifolia (Reinw.) Blume Terrestrial +
Crepidium sp.1 Terrestrial +
Crepidium sp.2 Terrestrial +
Crepidium sp.3 Terrestrial +
Crepidium sp.4 Terrestrial +
Crepidium sp.5 Terrestrial +
Cymbidium bicolor Lindl. Epiphytes +
Cymbidium finlaysonianum Lindl. Epiphytes +
Dendrobium crumenatum Sw. Epiphytes +
Dendrobium lampongense J.J.Sm. Epiphytes +
Dendrobium reflexitepalum J.J.Sm. Epiphytes +
Dendrobium salaccense (Blume) Lindl. Epiphytes +
Dendrobium sp. Epiphytes +
Dendrobium sphenochilum F.Muell. & Kraenzl. Epiphytes +
Dieniaophrydis (J.Koenig) Seidenf. Terrestrial +
Eria sp. Epiphytes +
Eulophia sp. Terrestrial +
Eulophia spectabilis (Dennst.) Suresh Terrestrial + + + +
Flickingeria sp.1 Epiphytes +
Flickingeria sp.2 Epiphytes +
Flickingeria sp.3 Epiphytes +
Flickingeria sp.4 Epiphytes +
Flickingeria sp. 5 Epiphytes +
Grosourdya appendiculata (Blume) Rchb.f. Epiphytes +
Habenaria beccarii Schltr. Terrestrial + + +
Hetaeria sp. Terrestrial +
Liparis condylobulbon Rchb.f. Epiphytes +
Liparis sp. Epiphytes +
Liparis viridiflora (Blume) Lindl. Epiphytes +
Luisia sp. Epiphytes +
Malleola sp.1 Epiphytes +
Malleola sp.2 Epiphytes +
Nervilia concolor (Blume) Schltr. Terrestrial + +
Nervilia plicata (Andrews) Schltr. Terrestrial +
Nervilia punctata (Blume) Makino Terrestrial +
Oberonia celebica Schltr. Epiphytes +
Oberonia costeriana J.J.Sm. Epiphytes +
Oberonia fungumolens Burkill Epiphytes +
Oberonia sp. Epiphytes +
Peristylus sp.1 Terrestrial +
Peristylus
sp.2 Terrestrial +
Phalaenopsis amboinensis J.J.Sm. Epiphytes +
Pholidota articulata Lindl. Epiphytes +
Pholidota imbricata Lindl. Epiphytes +
Pomatocalpa spicatum Breda, Kuhl & Hasselt Epiphytes +
Robiquetia sp. Epiphytes +
Thelasis carinata Blume. Epiphytes +
Trichoglottis sp. Epiphytes +
Tropidia angulosa (Lindl.) Blume Terrestrial +
Note: + = exist
PUSPITANINGTYAS – Orchid inventory in Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park, Indonesia
345
Figure 2. Number of orchids species for each genus found in Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
have green veins turning yellow. Generative and vegetative
phases alternate; with periodic flowering. There is potential
in this species for use as ornamental potted plants because
of the beauty of its leaves.
Nervilia plicata is distributed from India, China,
Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Java, Sumatra, and the
Philippines, to Papua New Guinea and Australia (Comber
1990). This species grows in tropical forest under shady
trees at an altitude of 320-450 m asl.. In Babul NP, this
species was found growing at an elevation of 275 m asl..
Nervilia punctata (Bl.) Makino
This terrestrial orchids is unique with orbicular leaves,
5 to 7 lobed; the apical lobe being acute, shiny green,
cordate below with a petiolate leaf base 3-4 cm in diameter.
The inflorescence has a single flower, held on a 10-15 cm
long peduncle, the flower facing sideways. Sepals and
petals are linear in shape, 15-18 cm long, light brown-
green, with a broadly lanceolate lip, white with many small
purple spots.
The distribution is widespread, through Thailand,
Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Java (Comber 1990). Its
presence in Sulawesi is a new record. Comber (1990) never
came across this orchid in the lowlands, but in Babul NP,
the species was found at an altitude of 275 m asl.. Backer
(1968) recorded that this species usually grow in lowland at
an altitude 25-1,000 m asl. Holttum (1964) also stated that
in Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia, this species grows
in lowlands area. This species prefers growing on rich soil
humus or thick leaf litter and grow in colonies from their
stolons in the soil.
Nervilia concolor (Blume) Schltr.
Previously, this species was known as Nervilia
aragoana Gaud., but its valid name now is N. concolor
(Blume) Schltr. The uniqueness of this terrestrial orchid is
in its heart shaped leaves, with leaf tips pointed. Leaves are
plicate, folded and pleated, with wavy margins; glabrous
and green or green with chocolate brown blotches, with
reddish purple petioles, the leaves are about 8 cm in
diameter. The inflorescence reaches 35 cm in height,
bearing about 4-10 flowers, not fully open, emerging from
bulbs underground. Sepals and petals are narrowly
lanceolate, acute, yellowish-green with brown veins. The
lip is trilobed, white-yellowish with dark brown veins and
undulate margins. Generative and vegetative phases appear
alternately. Blooming throughout the year, the species has
potential for use as ornamental potted plants.
Its habitat has a rather broad range in altitude from 0 to
1,200 m asl.. This species tolerates growing in open area or
under shady trees, even along roadsides or in shady
grasslands. The distribution is widespread from India,
China, Southeast Asia, Australia, to the Pacific Islands
(Comber 1990).
Eulophia spectabilis (Dennst.) Suresh.
This species prefers full sunlight, and is most often
found growing in grassy fields. It is found from lowlands to
highlands, with an altitudinal range from 0 to 1,300 m asl..
Eulophia spectabilis is a terrestrial orchid, with
underground pseudobulbs, slightly rounded, about 3 cm in
diameter, giving rise to shoots that emerge at their tips. The
plant is 20 cm high, bearing 2 to 4 leaves, oblong-narrowly