Japanese wild orchid hunt: the search for Calanthe sieboldii

Please visit us at Today's video focuses on the search for a very rare terrestrial orchid in southern Japan, Calanthe sieboldii. After years of over collection very few of these plants yet remain in Fukuoka Prefecture - indeed the species is endangered throughout most of its range. Along the way you get to see me sweat, climb rock piles, and find many other plant species. My “car“ is a mountain bike, and today's trip took me through 40 km of mountainous terrain, albeit rather small