Cattleya hybrids- Kolkata, West Bengal

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Flower Show at Agri-Horti Society, Kolkata- 8 : 5 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)

Cattleya hybrid.

Cattleya hybrid.

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Flower Show at Agri-Horti Society, Kolkata- 26 : 5 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)

Another Cattleya hybrid.

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Flower Show at Agri-Horti Society, Kolkata- 13 : 5 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)

Cattleya hybrid.

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Flower Show at Agri-Horti Society, Kolkata – 15 : 6 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)

Cattleya hybrid.

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Flower Show at Agri-Horti Society, Kolkata- 14 : 6 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)

A Cattleya hybrid. Please remember, no Cattleya is found in Asia.

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Flower Show at Agri-Horti Society, Kolkata- 2 : 5 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)

A Cattleya hybrid.

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Flower Show at Agri-Horti Society, Kolkata- 4 : 12 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (1)
Cattleya hybrid.

This means that most of the cultivated orchids are hybrids.

The orchid breeders of Kalimpong do not adopt this practice. They are exporting several species of orchids in bulk and each piece is fetching 10-20 USD per piece depending on the species.
Some one has to report to the forest department to take action with some proof. Otherwise nothing can be done to stop them.
This is fully legal business they are doing. First they are approaching Forest & Plantation Development Corporation, Govt. of WB. Then the plants are quarantined and finally there is sealing of Orchids in wooden boxes with Govt. tags in presence of Govt. officials with verification of name of each peace. I was going there regularly on behalf of BSI for identity verification during my tenure at Gangtok.

If they are collecting orchids from wild then the forest department needs to have a good reason to give them the permit. If they are selling hybrid orchids then of course it is fully legal.
BUT, Paphiopedilum spicerianum is protected by Forest Protection Act of India. I am not sure if Indian government can give permission for this species. Dendrobium lindleyi in your list is a wild species. If they can prove that it is propagated then they can legally sell to US.

In Flower Shows local nurseries and individuals participate. I have no knowledge whether they are selling them or if selling then who are clients.
As regards Kalimpong, there are large nurseries who propagate orchids vegetatively and export. They are not supposed to collect anything from wild nor export any restricted species.

My reply was for your comment, “This means that most of the cultivated orchids are hybrids.”. Which I said, is not true.
Many people collect plants from wild and then cultivate it in their garden. Propagate them from wild collected plants and sell them. This is true for India and extremely true for our neighbours like China. All cultivated plants are not hybrids. Unlike India, the collection of fruits from wild orchids is considered ok in other countries, and they easily get permission for it. In India it is illegal. Hence if someone grows plant from fruits collected from wild, its not right. You were at BSI I think and I am sure you know better than me that this happens. Some wild collected orchids are directly going out of India via Myanmar or China, ultimately to China. I have come to know of this, but have no proof. A few weeks back forest department confiscated tubers of wild orchids at Myanmar border, just one of many incidents that I know of because they sent me the pics to identify.
There is a process in Indian government where experts are told to visit these nurseries to do annual or once in five year check and if any nursery is doing so then their license is cancelled. Due to which some growers in KALIMPONG were banned to export. Although grower claimed that it was due to personal differences that he was framed. This also happens. I have nothing personal against anyone. But what I am worried about is, Indian government must take strong steps to protect its biodiversity because in India it is more animal and tiger-centric than habitat or plant-centric protection. 11 out of around 1400 species of orchids are protected which itself is a shame. Someone have rare and endemic Vandas from India in USA!! and he is making hybrids out of them and earning fame!! Where did he get those Vandas from? Please have a look at the Indian Orchids group on facebook, very often you can see people displaying wild orchids. In Ooty and Kodaikanal they sell wild orchids on the roadside (I have seen myself). Last year, one population of Paphiopedilum was wiped out by poachers and what they couldn’t collect, they sprayed kerosene and burnt at the site so that others cant collect. These are just a few things of the bigger picture for which I am concerned. 

Thanks … For so many details.