Rajendra P. Kerkar
Pecteilis gigantea, one of the largest orchids locally known as the Vaghchavara is attracting the nature lovers at grassland of Dhangarwada in Shiroli of Sattari.
The Vaghchavara orchid also called as the butterfly orchid is the fragrant orchid that generally found in the hilly evergreen forests as well as the grassland. As, this wild plant bear wing like sepals and fringed lib lobes it look like as if butterfly is flying when breeze make it dance.
It is a species of ground orchid with very large white terminal flowers that is found in humus rich marshy grassland.
This orchid has the twin underground tubers. When it starts raining during the monsoon, dormant tubers shoot out a robust green stem of flat leaves bearing up to six flowers.
Tubers of this orchid are uprooted and generally eaten by wild boars that are aware about the flowering of it. It attracts butterflies, insects during the flowering that last for few days.
This terrestrial herb has oblong, acute leaves. Greenish white coloured flowers has strong fragrant. It is one of the largest orchids found in the Western Ghats of Goa.
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