Malala has gone...

 

 

 

It is with regret that I have just learnt that Michelle ANDRIAMANAMIHAJA, creator of the world-famous company " Malala orchids ", left us April 6th of this year.

 

We knew each other since only decade, but I felt for her a big tenderness, but also a big gratitude for of what she made for years in favour of the orchids of Madagascar.

Naturally these orchids she sold them, but by making the effort to come from time to time to sell them in Europe, in spite of the administrative and financial difficulties , she allowed small collectors as me to have access to the Grail, to the Malagasy orchids which we see only in books and which so much make us dream.
 

Conscious of the wealth and the big diversity of the orchids of his island, Michelle welcomed so much that she could the specialists of any nationalities in journey in Madagascar and sometimes, under these shadehouses, some discovered a not yet described novelty.

 

A lot of new species have been discovered thanks to her.

During mu journey in 2011 in Madagascar, Michelle and her husband mari Raoul, had welcomed us at their home so my friends can discover her collection and see in flower some orchids which we did not have been able to see during three weeks spent in the Highlands.
 

Her installations of culture were "simple" because no need of greenhouse in Madagascar, it is simply necessary to protect the orchids of the ardent sun and the sometimes violent wind. Of simple wooden shadehouses are enough to grow and to obtain marvelous flowers !!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

But MIchelle was tired these past years...

Tired to see what her beloved island became, to see what the People made it undergo and maybe simply tired of a well charged life, its numerous working years in France and of her  pension  deserved well on her island where she and Raoul had chosen to return to end their life in conditions harder than what they had known in France for years.
 

Last September it is Raoul who went out and since the fatigue of Michelle went only by becoming more marked, until this April 6th of this year when she left us.

 

Relaying in peace Michelle now that you found Raoul and  thank you for all that you made for the Malagasy orchids, for the Malagasy cause ... I'll miss you!!!!

 

 

Angraecum ankeranense H. Perr. (1938)

Geographical origin:

Central Madagascar where it grows epiphytically in mossy forests between 700 - 2000m in altitude.

  

Culture :
 

This Angraecum will be better grown mounted because of its shape.

It needs to be often mist and will be good with a few natural moss or sphagnum moss covering its roots.
Temperate to hot , good air movement, high humidity and low to medium light level.
 

This Angraecum is often confused with A.bicallosum, but I am persuaded, because of the rarity of A.bicallosum, that most of the present plants in collections, if it is not all of them, are in fact Angraecum ankeranense.
A.bicallosum is represented in the herbariums only by one single flower, no complete plant having been collected, what makes more than hypothetical to find it in culture and most probably in the wild!!

 

TROPICOS
The Plant List
MNHN
KEW
IOSPE

Day 12: return at Germain's home

The previous day wasn't so hard so I wake up early, what allows me to photograph our camp when everybody is still sleeping

 

 

 

Germain waits for us for lunch time, so this morning we have to hurry!!
 

The forest is very humid here, with a lot of little rivers everywhere.

 

 

We still discover not yet seen orchids, but also chameleons, spiders and even a boa...

  

 Angraecum curnowianum

 Boa madagascariensis

 

 

But once again we fall behind because the distance to be walked is long and orchids to be observed are numerous

Aeranthes adenopoda et Angraecum sp.

 

Oeonia volucris

 

After a few hours of walking we find the savanna. As there are only few orchids here, we can thus accelerate the step but the sky covers itself and the rain, once again, begins to fall...

 

 

The last small break, the time to photograph all our small team and we arrive to Germain with 3 good hours delay.

 

We feast with the crawfishes whom he prepared for us, but already it is necessary to take back the road in the direction of Fianarantsoa, where we shall sleep in the hotel, in a real bed... finally...

Day 11: on the way back

As every day we wake up in the first lights, still exhausted by the efforts of the day before.

We distinguish finally this village where we slept but where, by arriving at night, we did not  have time to discover.

Just after the breakfast, everybody is ready to leave in the direction of the Highlands.
It is early in the morning but most of the people are already working in the fields and we leave a quite empty village.
 

After a few hours we discover a beautiful and peacefull river...it is already moist and hot, so we stop to have a good bath...we are not too much in a hurry today, we take our time.
 

During this time the carriers continued the road, taking little beforehand to find us a "local fuel" which, according to their own statements, is going to help us to walk a little faster!!

It is in fact a local rum made with sugar cane and with maceration of bark of tree.

Not being really persuaded that this drink will have on us the expected effects, we only drink a little, promising to droink more in the evening.

Once more, as soon as we leave the cultivated areas, we quickly find the first orchids.

Polystachia tsinjoarivensis et Calanthe sylvatica

This time it is not a snake which cross our road, but a really big frog!!

Finally this day of walking was rather short and it is in the afternoon that we arrive at our third camp, what allows us to relax a little by having a nap or by relaxing us in a very cool river

 

The evening ended around a fire, with some rum and songs... very pleasant!!