Consultant - Research and Academics, IIHS | Ph.D. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) | Illustrator | Natural History Artist | Scientist
Ground orchid (Nervilia crociformis) I saw this orchid on my recent trip to Sirsi. It is a beautiful plant with shell shaped leaves. Below ground it bears small bulbs and these bulbs sprout a single leaf soon after the monsoons. Difficult to find in the forest as these plants are ephemeral and are hidden in the leaf litter. I saw this plant for the first time back in 2010 in B.R. Hills. I was not sure what plant it was. After a little bit of searching on the web I found out it's a ground orchid. I remember the excitement and the days to follow in search of a flowering individual. It was only the following year I saw the flowers, the flowers bloom before the leafs sprout and hence the previous season I was not able to find any flowering individuals. The flowering time was long gone when I saw a lot of these plants in the leaf litter. I sketched this piece during my field trip. I took a long time to get the shades right and then to paint the tiny hairs on the leaves. Entirely made on iPad using Procreate software. #plantillustration #botany #ecologyart #artforconservation #artandscience #orchids #tropicalplants #orchid #groundorchid #nervilia #plantsplants #botanicalart
Research Professional
7moAwesome job, Ravi!! So realistic...