I have a contact in Peru who is working with conservation of wild orchids. He is a local person living near Moyabomba, which is the town near where Phrag. kovachii is found. I thought it would be interesting to hear what he has to say about the current situation of wild kovachii so I asked him to write a report. He did write a very informative report and I had it professionally translated from Spanish. It is clear from his report that kovachii is not extinct in the wild.... yet. Here is his report:
PHRAGMIPEDIUM KOVACHII
This species lives approximately between 1800 to 2300 m.a.s.l. in rocky substrate of calcareous material, and in zones of steep slopes, habitat in places with permanent humidity, accompanied by a herbaceous vegetation (like mosses, lichens, ferns and even other species of orchids), and forest species of average height. The rocky substrate is accompanied by small rests of organic matter. The habitat presents a good illumination and ventilation which has a direct influence on the growth of the plants that show little vegetative development and yellowish green foliage. But it is possible to mention that between 2100 to 2300 m.a.s.l. exist populations with less illumination, where one will find plants with more developed foliage.
The main time of flowering includes the months of January to April, but it does exclude the fact that there are plants flowering throughout the year. Species of the same family of the species Maxilaria, Anguloa (Anguloa virginales), Ida, Sobralia, and others also share the same habitat.
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The place where this species is located is a tropical high forest which characteristic is a high biodiversity of flora and fauna, considered "hot spots" of the world-wide biodiversity, which they include between the 1000 to 3000 m.a.s.l.
This is a species that has been considered one of the best discoveries of the last times as far as orchids are concerned. It shows to a fuchsia colour flower with oval petals and lips in the form of a shoe with a diameter of approximately of 14 by 8 cm. Some plants with greater diameter of flowers have even been reported. This has aroused the interest of many collectors and investigators, which has caused a strong depredation of its habitat on the part of dealers and local farmers. At the present time there is a continuous chain of dealers who starts from the illegal extraction from their habitat, their transfer to Moyabamba where they sell at a price of approximately 3 to 7 Us Dollars for a flowering plant or one with buds. In Moyabamba there are several middlemen who buy and sell to other buyers coming from Ecuador or Lima; the price fluctuates between 7 and 20 Us Dollars, in those cases plants that have not complied with the requirements to be able to be taken by these third people, the hoarders of Moyabamba sell them to local people who have become fond of them, some can even be found in the market with non appropriate substrates in many cases already dying; it is important to point out that most of the plants that have been bought in Moyabamba have finished dying.
Location of Populations of the Phragmipedium kovachii
The first discovered population is located between the sector Venceremos and the small village of Jorge Chavez, with at the present time a single plant surviving on a rock wall of the Fernando Belaúnde Terry Highway. The sector Venceremos is the main entrance to the two following populations; the main contacts in this place are the brothers Juan and Jaime Pérez Rojas who until the present time are commercialising this species. Entering by this place approximately 1 hour away they are the lands of Mr. Dominal Espinosa Mondragón, who admonished by INRENA, is prohibiting people from extracting these species. From this place to the second population there is an approximately one hour’s walk and where it is possible to appreciate 5 mother plants and approximately 20 small young plants that already show flowers and buds and several smaller plants in an extension of approximately 2500 m2
Following the road on the banks of the Serranoyacu River, approximately at one hour’s distance is the greatest population, distributed in an area of approximately 400 hectares, with a totally rough relief with cliff sides and hills that lodge small colonies of the species.
This last population is being depredated through two entrances, one that goes from the sector Progreso having as its guide and extractor Mr. Faustino Medina Bautista, who uses logging road and from this area goes walking an average of 17 hours until finding the tributary ravines of the Aguas Verdes River, returning by the Sector El Peról, coming to the bridge of the Aguas Verdes River, a walk of approximately 10 hours, and this would be the other entrance.
PHRAGMIPEDIUM KOVACHII
This species lives approximately between 1800 to 2300 m.a.s.l. in rocky substrate of calcareous material, and in zones of steep slopes, habitat in places with permanent humidity, accompanied by a herbaceous vegetation (like mosses, lichens, ferns and even other species of orchids), and forest species of average height. The rocky substrate is accompanied by small rests of organic matter. The habitat presents a good illumination and ventilation which has a direct influence on the growth of the plants that show little vegetative development and yellowish green foliage. But it is possible to mention that between 2100 to 2300 m.a.s.l. exist populations with less illumination, where one will find plants with more developed foliage.
The main time of flowering includes the months of January to April, but it does exclude the fact that there are plants flowering throughout the year. Species of the same family of the species Maxilaria, Anguloa (Anguloa virginales), Ida, Sobralia, and others also share the same habitat.
.
The place where this species is located is a tropical high forest which characteristic is a high biodiversity of flora and fauna, considered "hot spots" of the world-wide biodiversity, which they include between the 1000 to 3000 m.a.s.l.
This is a species that has been considered one of the best discoveries of the last times as far as orchids are concerned. It shows to a fuchsia colour flower with oval petals and lips in the form of a shoe with a diameter of approximately of 14 by 8 cm. Some plants with greater diameter of flowers have even been reported. This has aroused the interest of many collectors and investigators, which has caused a strong depredation of its habitat on the part of dealers and local farmers. At the present time there is a continuous chain of dealers who starts from the illegal extraction from their habitat, their transfer to Moyabamba where they sell at a price of approximately 3 to 7 Us Dollars for a flowering plant or one with buds. In Moyabamba there are several middlemen who buy and sell to other buyers coming from Ecuador or Lima; the price fluctuates between 7 and 20 Us Dollars, in those cases plants that have not complied with the requirements to be able to be taken by these third people, the hoarders of Moyabamba sell them to local people who have become fond of them, some can even be found in the market with non appropriate substrates in many cases already dying; it is important to point out that most of the plants that have been bought in Moyabamba have finished dying.
Location of Populations of the Phragmipedium kovachii
The first discovered population is located between the sector Venceremos and the small village of Jorge Chavez, with at the present time a single plant surviving on a rock wall of the Fernando Belaúnde Terry Highway. The sector Venceremos is the main entrance to the two following populations; the main contacts in this place are the brothers Juan and Jaime Pérez Rojas who until the present time are commercialising this species. Entering by this place approximately 1 hour away they are the lands of Mr. Dominal Espinosa Mondragón, who admonished by INRENA, is prohibiting people from extracting these species. From this place to the second population there is an approximately one hour’s walk and where it is possible to appreciate 5 mother plants and approximately 20 small young plants that already show flowers and buds and several smaller plants in an extension of approximately 2500 m2
Following the road on the banks of the Serranoyacu River, approximately at one hour’s distance is the greatest population, distributed in an area of approximately 400 hectares, with a totally rough relief with cliff sides and hills that lodge small colonies of the species.
This last population is being depredated through two entrances, one that goes from the sector Progreso having as its guide and extractor Mr. Faustino Medina Bautista, who uses logging road and from this area goes walking an average of 17 hours until finding the tributary ravines of the Aguas Verdes River, returning by the Sector El Peról, coming to the bridge of the Aguas Verdes River, a walk of approximately 10 hours, and this would be the other entrance.
