Calanthe masuca
Orchidaceae
- Range
- From the Koshiki Islands, Kuroshima to the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, China, and subtropical/tropical Asia
In the diorama, its purple flowers are in bloom.
This is a medium-sized terrestrial orchid that grows on the forest floor of evergreen broadleaved forests. Its leaves can grow to 30 to 40 cm in length. In summer, the plant produces 20 to 30 pale purple flowers. While this orchid is rarely seen on the nearby Amami-Oshima, it is commonly observed on Tokunoshima. The Christmas orchid, which blooms around the same time, is a close relative, and a natural hybrid between the two, called "Yuzuru-ebine", can also be found.
Habitat of This Animal:
B:Forest along the mountain ridge - B2:Deep forest
As time passes from the felling of trees, trees in the forest will grow taller and thicker. Tall trees like Castanopsis, a representative tree of forests in Tokunoshima Island, form the forest canopy. Different layers of plants are formed beneath it, including medium-to-small trees and bottom weeds, and the forest floor becomes gradually darker. Through such a process, the forest will become deeper, supporting the fauna of Tokunoshima Island.
This B2:Deep forest