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Downloaded From IP - 122.173.244.76 on dated 1-Oct-2016 stationed atthefoothillgivingwaytovast Kurseong formthehillareaswhereasSiliguriis topographical features.Darjeeling,Kalimpongand (Fig. 1).TheDarjeelingdistricthastwo Darjeeling, Kalimpong,KurseongandSiliguri in theWest.TheSub–DivisionsofDarjeelingare Dooars intheSouth,BhutanEastandNepal It isborderedbySikkimintheNorth,Teraiand in shapeextendingoveranareaof3254.7sq.kms. of thestateWestBengal,.Itistriangular number ofspecies(Yonzone region isrichinOrchiddiversityandharvoura natural home(YonzoneandKamran,2008).The found inIndiawithtemperateHimalayasastheir species with140generaofOrchidare are distributedthroughouttheworld.About1300 25,000 –35,000specieswith800–1,000genera family ofhigherplants.Itisestimatedthatabout Orchids form9%ofourfloraandarethelargest form amongthemonocotyledons.InIndia, evolved inthefloralspecializationanddiversified Journal ofKrishi Vigyan Corresponding authore-mail: * Gaudichaud -AHorticulturallylessknownEpiphytic Programme Coordinator,KrishiVigyan Kendra,UttarBangaKrishiViswavidyalaya, Darjeeling, WestBengal. Distribution andPresentEcologicalStatusof Darjeeling Himalayaisthenorthernmostpart Key words and localgeographicaldistributionof names withecologicalstatus,voucherspecimennumbers,habitat,altitudinalranges,phenology attempt isthefirststeptocorrecttaxonomicidentificationworkoutcurrentlyacceptedbotanical two aresparse,oneisrareandanotherthreatenedstatusatpresentinstudyregions.This resources, distributionandpresentecologicalstatusinDarjeelingHimalayaofIndia.Ofthem, The presentpaperdealswithfourhorticulturallylessknown Orchids areconsideredtobethemosthighly Himalaya. Botanical Description,DiversityResources, INTRODUCTION : Luisia Department ofBotany,St.Joseph’sCollege,P.O.NorthPoint, OrchidSpecies,DiversityResources,Distribution,PresentStatus,Darjeeling [email protected] Orchid SpeciesofDarjeeling District Darjeeling734104(WestBengal) et al Rajendra YonzoneandSamuelRai* . 2012). ABSTRACT Luisia the areafallsunderTeraiandplains.Thealtitudinal 2320 sq.km.andtheremaining934.75of stretches oftheplains.Thehillyregioncovers speciesintheregions. Fig. 1.LocationofDarjeelingdistrict(studyarea) Luisia West Bengal,India Orchidspeciesdiversity Luisia 5 www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale

Downloaded From IP - 122.173.244.76 on dated 1-Oct-2016 6 1977), specimenssocollected wereprocessed, prepared bystandardmethods (JainandRao, flowering period.Herbariumspecimenswere were dissectedandexaminedinlaboratoryduring necessary information.Thecollectedspecimens recorded inthefieldnotebookwiththeir also studiedintensively.Alltherelevantdatawere Himalaya, the While workingonOrchidfloraofDarjeeling m ofentireDarjeelingHimalayWestBengal. m toashighSandakphu-Phalutlocatedat3636 farms ofaslowSiliguriwhichislocatedat150 including theforestareas,floralnurseriesand seasons oftheyearinentireDarjeelingdistrict during theyear2007–2011coveringall and thePacificIslands. , ,,,NewGuinea in SriLanka,India,,China,,Indo- The genuscomprisesabout40speciesdistributed Freycinet’s VoyagesurI’UranieetLaPhysicienne Charles Gaudichaud-Beauprein broad. Antherbroad,2-celled;pollinia2,porate. rostellum short;stipesviscidiumshort, shorterthanthelip,stout;lackingafoot; immobile; hypochileconcave;epichilewrinkled. narrower thanthesepals.Lipfleshy,pendent, free,spreading;usuallylongerand rachis attenuate.Flowerssmall,fleshy.Sepalsand subsessile, fewerthan10-flowered;peduncleand Inflorescence axillary,racemose,densely, a singleshort.Leavesdistant,terete,linear. branched atbasegivingatuftedhabit,somewith Botanical Description region tofindoutthepresentstatusofspecies. parks, forestareaandfar–flungvillagesofthe been carriedoutthroughthesurveyofnational of OrchidavailableinDarjeelingHimalayahas investigation, thecurrentstatusof at thepeakofPhalut(3600m).Inpresent boundaries ofNepal,SikkimandIndiaisformed and themountainousregions.Atrijunctionof sharp physiographiccontrastbetweentheplains Siliguri to3636matSandakphu–Phalutwitha variations ofthedistrictrangesfrom150mat The intensivefieldsurveywasconducted The genus epiphytic,climbing.Stemoften MATERIALS ANDMETHODS Luisia Luisia wasestablishedin1826by Orchidspeciesfoundwere Luisia Louis de genus . 1. Systematic Enumeration Key tothespecies from studyareas. field tofindoutthecurrentstatusof species werelaiddowndiagonallyinhabitatrich Quadrate plotsof10mxforepiphyticOrchid specimen numbers,habitatandphenology. botanical names,dateofcollection,voucher their altitudewisedistributionintheareawith specimens werearrangedalphabeticallyasper Women’s College,Kalimpong.Alltheplant and EthnobiologyResearchLaboratory,Cluny College, NorthPoint,DarjeelingandTaxonomy Herbarium ofDepartmentBotany,St.Joseph’s Voucher specimensweredepositedinthe Botanical SurveyofIndia,CAL.Finallyallthe Himalaya (Lucksom,2007)andconfirmedat 2002); OrchidsofSikkimandNorthEast Pradesh. TheFloraofBhutan(PearceandCribb, with thehelpofOrchidfloraArunachal described, properlyidentifiedandauthenticated preserved andmountedonherbariumsheets wide……………………. 3b. Apicallobeorepichilelessthan5mm 0.12 cm,terete,jointed. covered byleafsheaths. 4: 50(1849). Luisia brachystachys wide………………… 3a. Apicallobeorepichilemorethan5mm 3a 2b. Leavesnotsecond……………..……..…. only)………….………….. 2a. Leavessecond(ononesideofstem epichile suddenlywidened………..2a between hypochileandepichileepichile; 1b. Lip3-lobed,withadistinctdividingline brachystachys 4-6 mmlong.Dorsalsepal 2.2-4.5x0.8-1mm, purple; pedicelandwinged ovaryglabrous, petals yellow-green,lipyellow-greento 3-4 mmlong;sepalspalegreen,purplewithin, attenuate; rachisthick,4-5mmlong. opposed, 3or5-flowered;pedunclethick, suddenly widened……………….….… hypochile andepichile;epichilenot 1a. Lipsimple,withoutdividinglinebetween 18-30cmtall.Stemstout,

Journal ofKrishi Vigyan L. trichorrhiza (Lindl.) Bl.,Rumphia

Leaves L. zeylanica Inflorescence

L. filiformis Luisia 5-11x0.07- Flowers species

Luisia leaf- www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale

Downloaded From IP - 122.173.244.76 on dated 1-Oct-2016 Journal ofKrishi Vigyan 2. spathulate, falcate,3-veined. 3-4.4 x0.7-1mm,narrowlyoblong- mm, spreading,oblong-elliptic,obtuse. oblong, obtuse; Local distributionwithin Darjeeling March –May; Date ofcollection branches; 0369; Voucher specimennumber 2). pollinia 0.7-0.9mmlong,elliptic-oblong.(Fig. 1.2-1.4 x1.2-1.5mm;anthercapsubquadrate; margins weaklyundulate,3x2mm. surface ridged,apextruncatetonotched, from narrowedhypochile,broadlyobovate, lateral lobesshort,rounded;epichilearising triangular towedge-shaped,marginsrecurved, x 1.3-2mm,ecallose;hypochilebroadly spreading, filiform,obtuse. keeled. 7 x2-3mm,spreading,obtuse,ovate-elliptic, hooded, subacute,keeled; 5-7 x1.2-1.4mm,ovate-elliptic,weakly pedicellate-ovary 2-4mmlong. tips, lipdeeppurplewithwhiteedges; across; sepalswhite,petalswhitewithyellow boat-shaped, subacute. bracts 1.4-1.8x1.4-2mm,broadlyovate, attenuate, sheathed;rachis5-9mmlong;floral its base,thick,4to8-flowered;peduncle piercing throughleaf-sheath2-4mmabove linear, terete,rugose,jointed. 19 x0.4-0.7cm,fromonesideofstemonly, 1.7-3.2 cmlong,tubular,striate. covered byleafsheaths,2-3mmthick;sheaths 23 (1890). Luisia filiformis Myanmar, Thailand,LaosandVietnam. division; Mungpoo andMamring–Kurseongsub- April –May; Date ofcollection branches; 1131; Voucher specimennumber Column apex; discecalloseorindentedatbase. 2 mm,simple,broadlyoblongandwingedat habitat; Habitat Habitat Local distributionwithinDarjeeling 1.4mmlong.(Fig.5).

Petals Geographical distribution Altitudinal ranges Altitudinal ranges Plant : : Status Status 8-15x0.2-0.3mm,widely Epiphyticontreetrunkand Epiphyticontreetrunkand

Lateral Hook. f.,Fl.Brit.India6(1): : : pendent.Stembranched, 14April2010; 12May2008; : : Rareinnaturalhabitat; Threatenedinnatural Flowers Lateral sepals : : Lip : Lip Rajendra Rajendra : 1000–2000m; 300–1100m; Inflorescence 3-lobed,4-6 Dorsal 2.6-3 x0.7-1 3.4-4x1.5- Leaves Flowering Flowering : N.India, 3-5cm Column : Petals Relli et al. et al. 15- 6- : : : 4. 3. Flowering Date ofcollection branches; on samesideastheleaf, 2to4-flowered; extra-axillary, arisingin centre ofinternode, distichous, terete,subacute. rugose. 1.5 x0.4-0.6cm;sheathsoverlapping,surface stout, coveredbyleafsheaths;internodes1- distribution Kurseong sub-division; Kalimpong sub-division;Mungpoo– Darjeeling natural habitat; 0791; Voucher specimennumber 2, 0.8x0.4mm,ovoid,yellow.(Fig.4). apex. tapering tosubtruncate,minutelyemarginated subacute laterallobes;epichilecordate,ridged, concave witherect,roundedtotriangular, 3-lobed, 6-8x4-5.7mm;hypochiledeeply mm, oblong,obtuse,spreading,3-veined. acute, keeled,3-veined. mm, spreading,obliquelyovatetospathulate, obtuse, 3-veined; Dorsal sepal purple; pedicellate-ovary5-7mmlong. green lines,theapicalridgesgreen,column lines, lipdarkpurple,thebaseoutlinedwith across; sepalspalegreenwithfaintpurple boat-shaped, acuminate. 1.5 mm,persistent,broadlyovate-triangular, rachis 6-8x3-4mm;floralbracts1.5-1.81- short, 4or6-flowered;peduncleattenuate; 3, no.7(1853). Luisia zeylanica Bengal), Bhutan,MyanmarandThailand. jointed. 0.5 cm,distichous,fleshy,terete,rugose, 1.2-1.6 cmlong,tubular. branched), coveredbyleafsheaths;sheaths wide, stout,unbranched(occasionally 50 (1849). Geographical distribution Kalijhora –Kurseongsub-division; river sides–Kalimpongsub-division; Luisia trichorrhiza Thailand andVietnam. Sikkim andWestBengal),Bhutan,Laos, Column Habitat Leaves Inflorescence Altitudinal ranges : : Plant March–May; : Kumsi,Samalbong,Nimbong– India(N.E.India,Sikkim,West 3.5-5x1.5-1.8mm,oblong, 1.8-2.3mmlong,stout.Pollinia : Epiphyticontreetrunkand 6-15x0.2-0.5cm,sessile,

17-27cmtall. Plant Lindl. Fol.Orchid.Luisia4: Local distributionwithin Lateral sepals

(Hook.) Bl.Rumphia4: : 20-34cmtall. 22March2009; leaf-opposed,stout, Petals Flowers : Leaves India,(N.E.

Status : Rajendra : 800–1300m; Geographical Inflorescence 6-7x1.3-1.5 Stem 7-16x0.4- 0.8-1.1cm 5-7 x2-2.6 : Sparsein 4-7mm Stem et al. Lip 7 www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale

Downloaded From IP - 122.173.244.76 on dated 1-Oct-2016 8 sub-division; Kumsiforest–Kalimpongsub- Darjeeling in naturalhabitat; Flowering Date ofcollection branches; 0398; Voucher specimennumber Pollinia 2,yellow.(Fig.3). subtruncate. cordate-triangular, apexobscurely3-lobedto subquadrate, concave;epichiledeflexed, fleshy, obscurely3-lobed;hypochile oblong-lanceolate. introlled. mm, lanceolate-ovate,keeled,margins ovate, concave; slender. purple; pedicellate-ovary4-5mmlong, petals green,mottledwithpurple,lipdeep Flowers 0.5-1 x1-1.8mm,broadlyovate-lunate. peduncle 2-3mmlong,attenuate;floralbracts Habitat Fig. 2. Fig. 3. 3-6mmacross,pendent;sepalsand Dorsal sepal Petals Altitudinal ranges : : Kalijhora, Tindharey –Kurseong February–May; Luisia filiformis

Luisia zeylanica : Column Epiphyticontreetrunkand Lateral sepals 4-4.5x1.2-1.6mm,obtuse, Local distributionwithin Lip 3.8-5 x1.7-2.8mm, : 1mmlong,stout. 4-5x2.7-3.6mm, 20May2008; Hook.f. Lindl. : Rajendra : Status 300–1000m; 3.7-5 x2-2.7 : Sparse et al. brachystachys fruiting variesfromspeciestospecies. status atpresentinstudyregions.Floweringand are sparse,oneisrareandanotherthreatened Luisia Himalaya ofIndia,fourhorticulturallylessknown anther lip; 5. of ovary,columnwithanther lateral sepals, of flower; Habit (wholeplantwithflowers); Lip; c. Floral perigone, (whole plantwithflowersandflowerbuds); petalsand Sideviewofpedicellate-ovary,columnandlip. During recentfieldstudiesintheDarjeeling Fig. 5. (N.E. India,Sikkim, West Bengal),SriLanka. division Fig. 4. 6. 5. Orchidspecieswererecorded.Ofthem,two Frontviewoftipovary,columnwith Sideviewofpedicellate-ovary,columnand in situ Fig. 5. Fig. 4. RESULTS ANDDISCUSSION Luisia trichorhiza 3. Luisia brachystachys Geographicaldistribution

Floralperigone, andstigma; Luisia brachystachys

c. d. Luisia trichorrhiza flowerduringAprilto May and petals, lip; a. dorsalsepal, 3. d. Frontviewofflower; Lip; Journal ofKrishi Vigyan 7. Anther; (Hook.)Bl. 4. in situ a. (Hook.) Bl. (Lindl.) Bl., Frontviewoftip dorsalsepal, b. (Lindl.)Bl. 2. lateralsepals, Angledview andstigma; 8. Pollinia. 1. : India Habit L. b. 2. 1. 4. www.IndianJournals.com Members Copy, Not for Commercial Sale

Downloaded From IP - 122.173.244.76 on dated 1-Oct-2016 Journal ofKrishi Vigyan of naturalhabitat,makesalltheOrchidspecies areas andinremoteforests.Regulardegradation cannot protecttheseplantsavailableinremote such valuableplantspeciesbutlawenforcement In India,thereisagoodlawfortheprotectionof convince peopleoftheimportancetheirwealth. the remainingOrchidspeciesresourcesisto conditions inhabitat.Thebestwayofprotecting the changeordisturbanceinmicroclimatic development indistressedsitesclearlyindicates undisturbed sitesofthestudyareaandmeager growth anddiversityoftheOrchidspeciesin study regions.Itwasobservedthattheluxuriant natural populationofwholeOrchidspeciesinthe anthropogenic activitiescausegreaterharmtothe and timbercollectionmultifarious falling ofoldepiphytichosttreesforfuelwood regions. Itisbecauseofmanyreasonslikerandom verge ofextinctionfromnaturalhabitatinthe from themeansealevel. available inanaltitudinalrangeof300to1200m zeylanica 1100m to8001300maltitudinalrangesand during MarchtoMayandavailableat300 2000m, available inanaltitudinalrangesof1000to Orchid speciesarerare,threatenedandinthe L. filiforme flowerduringFebruarytoMayand CONCLUSION and L. trichorrhiza flower L. Yonzone, Rajendra,Lama,D.,Bhujel,R.B.andRai,Samuel. Yonzone, RajendraandKamran,A.2008.EthnobotanicalUses Pearce, N.R.andCribb,P.J.2002.FloraofBhutan.TheOrchids Lucksom, S.Z.2007.TheOrchidsofSikkimandNorthEast Jain, S.K.andRao,R.1977.FieldHerbariumMethods. leading toPh.DinBotany. Rajiv GandhiNationalFellowshipforhigherstudy Grants Commission,NewDelhiforawardingthe extinction innaturalhabitat. wild Orchidspeciesgermplasmresourcesfrom Therefore, itisnecessarytoconserveourprecious are convincedabouttheimportanceofsuchplants. their protectionisifpeoplelivinginfar-flungareas meager intheregions.Thus,theirbestrouteto threatened status,anditsdistributionisvery India. 2012. OrchidspeciesDiversityofDarjeelingHimalaya India, October11-13. in AngiospermSystematics”KalyaniUniversity,WestBengal, Annual ConferenceofIAAT“Multidisciplinaryapproaches of Orchids.AbstractinanInternationalSeminarXVIII of Bhutan.Vol.3,part3.RoyalBotanicGarden,Edinburgh. East Sikkim,India. Himalaya: DevelopmentArea,JiwanThingMarg,Gangtok, India. Today andTomorrow´sPrintersPublishers.NewDelhi, First authoristhankfultotheUniversity International J.Pharm.&LifeSci. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES 3 (3): 1533-50. 9 th