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EXACT EXISTENCE OF THE PANISEA (LINDL.)

STEUD. () IN DARJEELING HIMALAYAN

REGIONS OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA

RAJENDRA YONZONE1* AND SAMUEL RAI2 Universal Impact 1 Factor0.9285:2012; & ETHNOBIOLOGY RESEARCH 1.2210:2013 Index Copernicus LABORATORY, CLUNY WOMEN’S COLLEGE, P.O.

ICV 2011: 5.09, KALIMPONG, DISTRICT DARJEELING, W. B., INDIA. 2012: 6.42, 2013: 15.8, 2014:89.16, 2DIRECTORATE OF CINCHONA AND OTHER MEDICINAL 2015:78.30 NAAS Rating , MUNGPOO, DISTRICT DARJEELING, W. B., 2012 : 1.3; 2013-16:2.69 INDIA. 2017: 3.98 SJIF 2012: 3.947, Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] 2013: 4.802 Infobase Index 2015:4.56 ABSTRACT: Cosmos Impact Factor The present paper deals with the exact existence of the genus Panisea 2015: 4.366 (Lindl.) Steud. (Orchidaceae) in Darjeeling Himalayan regions of West Received on: 22th January 2017 Bengal, India. The two species of this genus are Panisea demissa and P. Revised on: uniflora. Both species described briefly with their botanical names, habitat, 30th January 2017 protologues, phenology, altitudinal range, local distribution, general Accepted on: 30th January 2017 distribution and their present availability status. Published on: 1st March 2017 KEY WORD: Orchidaceae, Panisea, Exact existence, Darjeeling Volume No. Online & Print Himalaya, India. 85 (2017) Page No. INTRODUCTION: 76 to 80 Orchidaceae is highly specialized, botanically significant, economically

Life Sciences Leaflets important and largest families of flowering plants with four habitats viz., is a international open epiphytic, terrestrial, saprophytic and subterranean. The family is widely access print & e distributed from the equator to the arctic circle and from lowland areas to journal, peer reviewed, worldwide abstract the snowline but humid tropics and sub tropics are species rich regions of listed, published every the world. The estimated number of Orchid species varies from 17,000 to month with ISSN, RNI 35, 000 (Yonzone, 2015). Orchids are characterized by distinct floral Free- membership, downloads and access. morphology association with mycorrhiza for germination of seeds. Several environmental factors are responsible for the distribution and survival of

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Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online)

Orchids e.g., climatic factors (rainfall, temperature), edaphic factors (soil pH, texture and moisture) and micro habitats. Eastern Himalaya, North East India, North-West Himalayas, Peninsular India and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the Orchid species rich regions of India. The Darjeeling Himalayan region is also an Orchid rich region of India (Yonzone and Rai, 2016). The genus Panisea was established by John Lindley in 1830 in his Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants. It comprises 7 species distributed in North India, Nepal, Bhutan and South East Asia (Pearce and Cribb, 2002). Generic name derived from the Greek words pan ‘all’ and iso ‘equal or same’ in reference to the similarity of the floral segments. epiphytic or lithophytic herb; rhizome branched. Pseudobulbs single-noded, ovoid to obliquely ovoid to obliquely ovoid. Leaves 2, arising from pseudobulb apex, narrowly elliptic to linear, petiole or subsessile. Inflorescence proterantous, hysteranthous or heteranthous, racemes, solitary to several-flowered. Flowers small to medium in size. Sepals and petals subsimilar, free. Lip entire or 3-lobed, sigmoidally curved at base; callose or ecallose. Column slender, incurved, hooded at apex; foot short; pollinia 4. The aim of the present study is to record the exact existence of Panisea species in Darjeeling Himalayan region with local distribution, altitudinal range, habitat, brief taxonomic description, protologue reference, phenology and general distribution.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Field surveys were conducted in different parts of the Darjeeling Himalaya to study the Orchid flora during 2007-2016. The information pertaining to morphological characters, places of occurrences of the two species of Panisea was recorded in the field note book. The collected specimens were identified with the help of standard floras (Pearce and Cribb, 2002 and Lucksom, 2007). The collected specimens were dried, preserved and mounted following the standard method (Jain and Rao, 1978) and the specimens were deposited in the herbarium of Taxonomy and Ethnobiology Research Laboratory of Cluny Women’s College, Kalimpong. Nomenclature of the taxa has been updated. KEY TO THE SPECIES: 1. Inflorescence solitary flower; flower 2.5-3.4 cm across, pale green...…. P. uniflora 1a. Inflorescence 4-8 flowered; flower 1.2-1.5 cm across, white……..…… P. demissa

SYSTEMATIC ENUMERATION: Panisea demissa (D. Don) Pfitz., Engler, Pflanzenr. (IV.50) Coelog.: 141, t.49. 1907; Dendrobium demissum D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 34. 1825; Coelogyne parviflora Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 44. 1830; Panisea parviflora (Lindl.) Lindl., Fol. Orchid. Panisea 5: 1, no.1. 1854; P. reflexa Lindl., op.

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Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) cit. no.2. 1854; P. demissa var. reflexa (Lindl.) Pfitz., Engler, Pflanzenr. (IV.50) Coelog.: 141. 1907. [Plate 1.A] Plant epiphytic herb, 6-13 cm tall. Pseudobulbs clustered, narrowly ovoid to ovoid. Leaves 2, elliptic- lanceolate, acute, petiolate. Inflorescence decurved, laxly 4 to 8-flowered; peduncle 1.5-2 cm long; rachis 2.5-3 cm long; pedicellate-ovary slender. Flowers 1.2-1.5 cm across, white. Sepals similar, oblong-lanceolate, dorsally keeled. Petals oblong, obtuse. Lip white with yellow median strip, oblong, subacute, sigmoidally bent. Flowering: October – December; Fruiting: November – January; Exact existence: INDIA, WEST BENGAL, DARJEELING HIMALAYA, Chimney forest-Kurseong 2000 m. Coll. No. 0730, dt. 05. 11. 2008 & Coll. No. 1416, dt. 27. 10. 2016. Present availability status: Sparse; Local distribution: Lopchu, Lava, Rachela, Chitrey, Gorkhey forest; Altitudinal range: 1950 – 2900 m; General distribution: India (North East India, West Bengal); Bhutan, China, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam.

Panisea uniflora (Lindl.) Lindl., Fol. Orchid. Panisea 5: 2, no.4. 1854; Coelogyne uniflora Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 42. 1830; C. thuniana Rchb. f., Allg. Gartenzeitung 23: 145. 1855. C. biflora Par. & Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 1865: 1035. 1855; C. falcata T. Anderson ex Hook. f., Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. (Calcutta) 5: 29, t.43. 1895; Chelonistele biflora (Par. & Rchb. f.) Pfitz., Engler, Pflanzenr. (IV.50) Coelog.: 139. 1907. [Plate 1.B] Plant epiphytic herb, 10-19 cm tall. Pseudobulbs caespitose, ellipsoid to ovoid, smooth, sheathed at base. Leaves 2, linear-oblong, acute, coriaceous, petiolate. Inflorescence solitary flowered. Flower 2.5-3.4 cm across, pale-green. Sepals subsimilar, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, spreading. Petals lanceolate-elliptic, acuminate. Lip 3-lobed; side lobes 4-7 yellow spots, falcate; apical lobe ovate; disc with obscure keels. Flowering: April – June; Fruiting: May – July; Exact existence: INDIA, WEST BENGAL, DARJEELING HIMALAYA, Kalijhora forest-Kurseong 350 m. Coll. No. 0718, dt. 14. 04. 2008; Present availability status: Rare; Local distribution: Pankhabari forest, Nimbong, Sittong, Guling forest; Altitudinal range: 400 – 1000 m; General distribution: India (North East India, West Bengal); Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION: Local distribution of both the species of Panisea (Lindl.) Steud., shows that the exact existence of these species are throughout Darjeeling Himalayan regions but their natural population are very less. Availability status of Panisea demissa is sparse whereas availability status of another species P.

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Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOAD ISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) uniflora is rare in the region. Flowering month of two species vary greatly from each other i.e. P. demissa bloom within October – December and P. uniflora within April – June and former species available in higher elevation upto 2900 m whereas later species available lower elevation upto 1000m altitude of the regions.

CONCLUSION: Illegal felling of old host trees, harvesting of timbers by forest corporation and local people, extension and construction of motorable roads, increase of agricultural lands, rapid urbanization, soil erosion, regular grazing of livestock, forest fire, landslides, indiscriminate collection, local Orchids trade, fuel wood and charcoal collection are some of the major threats to the Orchid flora of the region. Grassroots level awareness and government support are necessary to save the existing Orchid germplasm in the habitat of the regions.

REFERENCES: Jain, S.K. & Rao, R.R. (1977). Field and Herbarium Methods. Today and Tomorrow´s Printers and Publishers. New Delhi, India.

Lucksom, S.Z. (2007). The Orchids of Sikkim and North East Himalaya: Development Area, Jiwan Thing Marg, Gangtok, East Sikkim, India.

Pearce, N.R. & Cribb, P.J. (2002). Flora of Bhutan. The Orchids of Bhutan. Vol. 3, part 3. Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.

Yonzone, Rajendra. (2015). Studies on the Orchid Flora of Darjeeling Himalaya. Ph.D. Thesis. University of North Bengal, Raja Rammohunpur, Siliguri, West Bengal, India.

Yonzone, Rajendra. & Rai Samuel, (2016). Dendrobium Diversity in Darjeeling Himalaya, Taxonomic Details with Cultivation Practices. Directorate of Cinchona and Other Medicinal Plants, Mungpoo, Darjeeling, India.

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A B

Plate 1. A. Panisea demissa (D. Don) Pfitz., Young inflorescence and B. Panisea uniflora (Lindl.) Lindl. front face of flower in habitat.

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