Friday, March 13, 2009

Indigenous Flowers of Nepal

The tiny country of Nepal is situated in the Himalayan Mountain ranges and hence it has a lot of variety in flora and fauna. One can find exquisite varieties of flowers in Nepal which are not found anywhere else in the world. Nepal has a rich biodiversity and many of its plants and flowers have demonstrated medicinal properties that have been used by the local people for years. In Nepal there are more than 6500 varieties of flowers along with trees and bushes. The threat of rising environment hazard is posing a great danger to the rare species of flowers and plants in Nepal and hence the Nepalese government has initiated some protective measures to ensure that the rare varieties of flowers in Nepal do not go extinct.
Season Talks
The flowers start blooming in Nepal at the end of winter and in the monsoon season the surrounding landscape comes alive with the blooming of flowers. In the valleys that are located in the higher mountain ranges one see the growth of such indigenous flowers such as buttercups, cinquefoils, scrophs, polygonums, cinquefoils, composites and mints. As the climate gets warmer, the flowers in the subtropics began to bloom. March and April are the main months in Nepal which is known as the flower season and the rhododendrons fully blossom during this month. Other flowers like orchids, blue irises, lavender primuds and big white magnolias also are found in Nepal. In July and August the western region of Nepal thrives with great scenes of flowers.
The region that is comparatively low in elevation in Nepal has flower varieties like roses, orchids, edelweiss, campanlas, impatiens, anemones, and corydalis. The alpine area of Nepal has flower varieties like sediums, saxifrages proliferate, larkspurs and poppies. One can also find in the Himalaya region flower varieties such as caragana, ionicera and astragalus. The floral vegetation of Nepal withers away as the monsoon ends in the months of October and November, however in the sub-tropical region one can still find flowers that include pink luculia, mauve osbeckia and also yellow St John’s wort. Nepal boasts of more than three hundred varieties of orchids. The Nepalese call the Eupatorium ban mara which means death to the forest. This particular flower is like a daisy that has a red stem and leaves in the shape of heart. Although it is not indigenous to Nepal, it has now flourished well in the country.
When it comes to orchids, Nepal is the paradise for this variety of flowers because the region has a moist atmosphere and cloudy forest that is conducive for the growth of orchids. Orchids are like the national treasure of Nepal and it has attracted collectors so much so that some have also attempted heists for securing the rare wild varieties of orchids. Smuggling of orchids in Nepal is a flourishing business and hence if Nepal is the paradise for orchids it is also the paradise of orchid smugglers. The indigenous wild orchids of Nepal are smuggled to its neighboring country India from where it is exported to the Europe and the United States. There are 386 registered orchid varieties in Nepal and each year three to four and even more varieties of orchids are discovered in Nepal. One can find only in Nepal eight endemic orchid species and hence orchids are the most important flower varieties of Nepal.
The indigenous orchids of Nepal are famous all over the world and the export of the tissue culture of such orchids seems the way for the experts to stop the illegal trafficking of the indigenous orchids of Nepal. The vase life of the orchids is quite long and if they are kept in the right condition they can remain fresh for as many as six to eight weeks. Given the demand for the orchids of Nepal it has become a lucrative business venture for many in Nepal.
Steps taken to prevent the flora
In order to save the indigenous varieties of Nepal’s flowers, the government has set up many gardens and separate areas in the Royal Botanical Garden. There is also the conservation and education garden with which one can learn how to protect and save the endangered species of flowers. The flower show arranged at the garden is also another good way to save the species on the brink of extinction. Greater awareness is created in the minds of the visitors about the rare species of Nepalese indigenous flowers.

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