“The Ghost” re-discovered.

Naresh Swami

Epipogium aphyllum, Swartz, the rarest of all orchids across the planet was re-discovered from the Eastern , after a gap of more than 120 years. This species got its mention as early in the monumental work, “The Flora of British ” by J.D.Hooker and in “The Orchids of the Sikkim- Himalayas” by Sir. George King and Robert Pantling. Since then it was not seen (or photographed) by any individuals from the region, even though it found mention in several publications.

The is famous for its sudden appearance and disappearances, also believed to appear only once in a particular habitat, thus making it one of the rarest of all orchids. The re-discovery was made possible only because of a meticulous combing operation of various sites in the last two flowering seasons at an altitude around 12000 ft in North Sikkim. A total of sixteen were found growing in a small area of 5 sq. m. inside thick undergrowths.

The Plant

A small plant of the size between 7 to 15 cm in height. Stem hollow and tapering towards its apex with few small sheaths, bearing 2 to 6 non-resupinate flowers attached few centimeters apart. linear and acute, broader than the sepals, acute; both translucent. Lip large and papillose, lateral lobes erect and round, apical lobe deflexed and parallel to the spur, with four irregular ridges on its sides with mid lobe concave and pressing the inflated blunt spur. Spur longer than the lip, slightly curved. Sepals and petals are with yellowish brown shade and purplish spots on its tips and margins.The lateral lobes of the lip with the same shade as that of sepals and petals, mid lobe is of various shades of purple, margined with white and with a darker blotch on its mid concave surface. The spur is of an intermediate shade of the sepals and petals and lip. The stem, pedicle and the sheaths are of pale brown with spots and streaks of pale purple throughout.

Nicknamed, The ghost orchid, it lives largely underground for years and emerges only to flower at the right conditions. The plant which lacks green leaves and , doesn't go through the process of photosynthesis, instead its food is manufactured by a fungus present in its roots.

Distribution

First collected by Olof Swartz (Peter) and published in the journal, “Summa Vegetabilium Scandinaviae” in the year 1814, is believed to be a native of Eurasia, extending from Norway in the north to in the east, however in the last century its sighting occurred very rarely only. In Britain it was officially declared extinct in Britain's Red Data List in 2005, however the same was re-discovered, a single plant, in the year 2009 after a gap of 23 years. References: 1) “The Flora of British India” by J.D. Hooker 2) “The Orchids of the Sikkim-Himalayas” by Sir. George King and Robert Pantling (1898) 3) “The Independent”, dated 19th March 2010. 4) “The Telegraph” dated 19th March 2010.