Rajendra Yonzone et al JPBR , 2013: Vol.1(1)

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Journal ofofof Pharmaceutical and Biological Research www.pharmaresearchlibrary.com/jpbr JPBR , 2013: Vol.1(1): 22-29

Orchid Species in Himalaya of , : The Lour.

Rajendra Yonzone 1* D. Lama 1 and R. B. Bhujel 2 1Department of Botany, St. Joseph’s College, P.O. North Point, District Darjeeling, W. B., India 734104 2Taxonomy and Ethnobiology Research Laboratory, Cluny Women’s College , P.O. Kalimpong, District Darjeeling, W. B., India 734301 *E-mail: [email protected] Available Online: 27 November 2013

ABSTRACT The present paper deals with three Phaius Lour. Orchid species diversity, distribution and present availability status in Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India. This attempt is the first step to correct taxonomic identification to workout currently accepted botanical names with Voucher specim en numbers, habitat, altitudinal ranges, phenology and local and general distribution of Phaius species in the regions. Key words : Phaius Orchid Species; Diversity; Distribution; Status, Darjeeling Himalaya, India

INTRODUCTION Orchids are characterized by distinct floral morphology, pollination mechanism, association with unique fungal partners and miniscule seeds. They are considered to be the most highly evolved among the [1]. They exhibit in credible diversity in shape, size, structure, colour and fragrance of flowers [2] and three different life forms viz . epiphytic , terrestrial and saprophytic and are pretty admired among the professional and amateur Orchid lovers of the world [3]. In India, Orchids form 10% of the world Orchid flora with Himalayas as their natural home [4] and the largest and commercially important flowering [5]. It is estimated that over 22,500 species with 779 genera are distributed throughout the world [6] and a t otal of 996 species under 162 genera listed from India [7]. Subsequently, about 925 species under 144 genera [8]; 166 genera and 1141 species [9]; 1229 species under 184 genera [10] and 1331 species reported respectively from the present India [11]. As man y as 545 Orchid species are reported from the Eastern Himalayan [12] and 244 species from the Trans, North West, and West Himalayan regions [13]. Around 1,300 Orchid species have been estimated to occur in India; the Eastern Himalayas, the Western, and Sou th Indian hills are the Orchid rich areas in the country [14]. The East Himalayas and North -Eastern India; North - West Himalayas; Peninsular India; and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are the major Orchid rich regions in India [15].

Darjeeling Himalayan region of West Bengal is a rich repository of Orchid species. The Orchid species reported from by many earlier workers viz ., There are 90 genera with 283 species [16]; 25 genera with 35 species [17]; 13 genera with 20 species from [18] ; 16 genera with 26 species [19]; 29 genera with 62 species [20]; 11 genera with 29 species [21]; 56 genera with 212 species [22]; 44 genera with 87 species [23] ; 6 genera with 7 species [24]; recently 85 genera with 311 species reported from Darjeeling Himalaya of India [25].

Location and Boundary Darjeeling Himalaya is the northernmost part of the state of West Bengal. It is triangular in shape extending over an area of 3254.7 sq. kms. It is bordered by Sikkim in the north, Terai and Dooars in the south, Bhutan in the east and Nepal in the west. The Sub-Divisions of Darjeeling are Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and (Fig. 1). The Darjeeling district h as two topographical features. Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong form the hill areas whereas Siliguri is stationed at the foot hill giving way to vast stretches of the plains. The hilly region covers 2320 sq.km. and the remaining 934.75 sq.km. of the area falls under Terai and plains. The altitudinal variations of the district ranges from 150m at Siliguri to 3636m at -Phalut with a sharp physiographic contrast between the plains

22 Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Research Rajendra Yonzone et al JPBR, 2013: Vol.1(1) and the mountainous regions. A trijunction of boundaries of Nepal, Sikkim and India is formed at the peak of Phalut (3600m). Darjeeling Himalaya is rich in Orchid diversity. In the present investigation, the current status of Phaius genus of Orchid available in Darjeeling Himalaya has been carried out through the survey of national parks, forest area and far-flung villages of the region to find out the accurate status of the species.

Fig. 1 Location of Darjeeling district (study area) of West Bengal, India

Botanical description Plants terrestrial, perennial herb. Stems clustered, cylindric. Pseudobulbs conical or ovoid. Leaves ovoid-elliptic, petiolate, narrowly obovate or narrowly elliptic, acuminate. Inflorescence lateral from base of pseudobulb, or axillary, laxly or densely racemose. Flowers showy, resupinate. and similar, free, rather fleshy, spreading or reflexed. Lip free, entire, entire to obscurely 3-lobed, erect, sessile partly adnate to and embracing the column to form a tube, gibbous or shortly spurred. Column long or short, fleshy, curved, with an inflexed foot; pollinia 8.

The genus Phaius was established in 1790 by Joao De Loureiro (1717-1791) in his Flora Cochinchinensis . Lindley (1831) used the orthographic variant Phajus . The genus comprises about 30 species distributed in the tropics of , Madagascar, S and S.E. , , and the Pacific Islands [16].

MATERIAL AND METHODS The intensive field survey was conducted during the year 2007-2013 covering all the seasons of the year in the entire Darjeeling district including the forest areas, floral nurseries and farms of as low as Siliguri which is located at 150m to as high as Sandakphu-Phalut located at 3636m of entire Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India. While working on Orchid flora of Darjeeling Himalaya, the Phaius Lour. Orchid species found were also studied intensively. All the relevant data are recorded in the field note book with their necessary information. The collected specimens were dissected and examined in field and laboratory during flowering period. Observations on habitat, present availability status and photography were done in the habitat. Herbarium specimens were prepared by standard methods [26]. specimens so collected were processed, preserved and mounted on herbarium sheets and described, properly identified and authenticated with the help of available literature and confirmed at Botanical Survey of India, CAL. Finally all the Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Department of Botany, St. Joseph’s College, North Point, Darjeeling and and Ethnobiology Research Laboratory, Cluny Women’s College, Kalimpong. All the Phaius species are arranged alphabetically as per their altitudinal range in the area with botanical names, local and general distribution, date of collection, voucher specimen numbers, present availability status, habitat and phenology.

Key to the species 1. Inflorescence arising from leaf axil halfway up stem………..... P. mishmensis 1a.Inflorescence arising from base of stem or side of pseudobulb…………2

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2. Sepals and petals erect-spreading, yellow; apical lobe of lip not protruding; petals and lip yellow to greenish- white, lip with red-brown margins……………………… P. flavus 2a. Sepals and petals spreading, purple within, white without; apical lobe of lip protruding; petals and lip buff and purple…………………………………… P. tankervilleae

Enumeration (Bl.) Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 128 (1831); Pradhan, Indian Orch. Guide Identif. Cult. 2: 440. 1979; Hedge, Orch. Arun. Pradh. 45. 1984; Pradhan et Pradhan, 100 Beaut. Orch. 105. 1997; Chowdhery, Orch. Fl. Arun. Pradh. 582. 1998; Bose et al . Orch. India. 386. 1999; Pearce et Cribb, Fl. Bhutan, 3(3): 303, t. 304. 2002; M. Pradhan, 100 Sikkim Himal. Orch. 90-91. 2005; Lucksom, Orch. Sikkim N.E. Himal. 433. t. 462, pl. 18. 2007; Mishra, Orch. India. 313. 2007; Yonzone et al . Int. J. Pharm. Life Sci. 3(3): 1546-47. 2012. Limodorum flavum Bl., Bijdr. 8: 375. 1825. Phaius maculatus Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 127. 1831; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 817. 1890; King et Pantl. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. (Calcutta) 8: 107, t. 149. 1898; Bruhl, Guide Orch. Sikkim. 78. 1926.

Plant terrestrial herb, 43-115 cm tall. Pseudobulbs 8-15 x 2.8-8 cm, ovoid-ellipsoid to cylindric. Leaves 4-7, 28-61 x 5-9.6 cm, ovate-elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, acute. Inflorescence densely many-flowered; peduncle 13-24 cm long; rachis 26-41 cm long, glabrous; pedicellate-ovary 2-2.7 cm long; floral bracts 3-5.5 cm long. Flowers 4.6-5.6 cm across, showy, yellow. Sepals subsimilar, 3-3.7 x 0.9-1.5 cm, spreading; dorsal 3.5-4.5 x 1.5-1.7 cm, oblong- elliptic, obtuse to subacute; lateral sepals 3.5-3.7 x 1.6-1.7 cm, elliptic, obtuse. Petals 2.9-3.8 x 0.9-1.3 cm, oblong- elliptic. Lip 3-lobed, 2.5-2.9 x 1.5-3.2 cm, spurred; side lobes erect, enfolding the column, oblong, obtuse; apical lobe ovate to suborbicular; disc with 3 prominent keels; spur conical. Column 1.8-2.2 x 0.6-0.67 cm. [Fig. 2 and 3].

Voucher specimen : [Rajendra et al 1036]. Habitat : Terrestrial. Altitudinal ranges : 550-1600m. Date of collection : 13 April 2010. Flowering : March-May. Present Availability Status : Rare. Local distribution within Darjeeling : Kalimpong 8 th mile, Kumsi, Paiyung – Kalimpong Sub-Division; Mungpoo – Kurseong Sub-Division. General distribution : N. India, Nepal, Myanmar, , , the , , Laos, Vietnam, , New Guinea and the SW Pacific Islands.

Fig.2 Phaius flavus (Bl.) Lindl. (habitat)

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Fig. 3. Phaius flavus (Bl.) Lindl. (Dissected parts): 1. with inflorescence, 2. Front view of flower, 2a. floral bracts, 3. Top ventral view of flower, 4. Side view of flower, 5. Side view of lip with column, 6. Sepals and petals, 7. Front view of lip, 8. Top view of lip, 9. Lip (spread), 10. Front view of column with anther, 11. Tip of column with anther, 12. Different views of anther, 13. Different views of pollinia.

Phaius mishmensis (Lindl. et Paxt.) Rchb. f. in Bonplandia 5: 43 (1857); Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 817. 1890; King et Pantl., Orch. Sikkim Himal. 109, t. 152. 1898; Bruhl, Guide Orch. Sikkim. 78. 1926; Pradhan, Indian Orch. Guide Identif. Cult. 2: 440. 1979; Hedge, Orch. Arun. Pradh. 46. 1984; Chowdhery, Orch. Fl. Arun. Pradh. 583. 1998; Bose et al . Orch. India. 386. 1999; Pearce et Cribb, Fl. Bhutan, 3(3): 303. 2002; M. Pradhan, 100 N.E. Indian Orch. 80-81. 2006; Lucksom, Orch. Sikkim N.E. Himal. 432. t. 460, pl. 17. 2007; Mishra, Orch. India. 313. 2007; Yonzone et al . Int. J. Pharm. Life Sci. 3(3): 1547. 2012. Limatodes mishmensis Lindl. et Paxt. in Paxt.’s fl. Gard.3: 36. 1852.

Plant terrestrial herb, 38-119 cm tall. Pseudobulbs 3-6.7 x 1.2-1.9 cm, fusiform-cylindric. Leaves 6-8, 15-35 x 5.7- 11 cm, elliptic-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, acuminate. Inflorescence 1 or 2, 26-63 cm long, axillary, laxly few- flowered; peduncle 22-37 cm long, slightly zigzag, sheathed; rachis 8-23 cm long. Flowers 4-5.6 cm across; sepals and petals pale pink or purple-brown, lip white to pink, speckled with purple, spur yellowish. Sepals similar, 2.6-3.2 x 0.7-1.1 cm, erect to spreading, linear-oblong, subacute, concave. Petals 2.7-3 x 0.5-0.6 cm, linear-oblanceolate, acute. Lip 3-lobed, 2.7-3.6 x 1.5-2.9 cm, jointed at base of column, spurred; side lobes erect, rounded; apical lobe entire, reflexed; disc with a central thickened, hirsute-pubescent ridge from base to apex; spur 1-1.5 cm long, narrowly cylindric, acute, curved. Column 1.7-2 x 0.7-1.4 cm long. [Fig. 4 and 5].

Voucher specimen : [Rajendra et al. 1462]. Habitat : Terrestrial. Altitudinal ranges : 1100-2700m. Date of collection : 19 September 2010. Present Availability Status : Rare. Flowering : August –October. Local distribution within Darjeeling : Forest areas of Kafer – Kalimpong Sub-Division; Dilaram- Kurseong Sub- Division; – Darjeeling Sub-Division; Manaybhanjang (border area Nepal and India). General distribution : NE India, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Okinawa and the Philippines.

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Fig. 4 Phaius mishmensis (Lindl. et Paxt.) Rchb. f. (inflorescence)

Fig. 5 Phaius mishmensis (Lindl. et Paxt.) Rchb. f. (front view of flower)

Phaius tankervilleae (Banks ex I’ Herit.) Bl. Mus. Bot. 2: 177 (1856); Tuyama in Hara, Fl. E. Himal. 2: 193. 1971; Pradhan, Indian Orch. Guide Identif. Cult. 2: 440. 1979; Hedge, Orch. Arun. Pradh. 46. 1984; Deva et Naithani, Orch. N.W. Himal. 329. t. 328. 1986; Pradhan et Pradhan, 100 Beaut. Orch. 106. 1997; Chowdhery, Orch. Fl. Arun. Pradh. 583 1998; Bose et al . Orch. India. 388. 1999; Pearce et Cribb, Fl. Bhutan, 3(3): 305-306. 2002; M. Pradhan, 100 N.E. Indian Orch. 82-83. 2006; Lucksom, Orch. Sikkim N.E. Himal. 433-434. t. 463, pl. 18. 2007; Mishra, Orch. India. 313. 2007; Yonzone et al . Int. J. Pharm. Life Sci. 3(3): 1547. 2012. Limodorum tankervilleae Banks ex I’Herit., Sert. Angl.: 28. 1789. Phaius veratrifolius Wall. ex Lindl., loc. cit. 1831, syn. nov. P. wallichii Lindl. in Wall., Pl. Asiat. Rar. 2: 46, t.158. 1831; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 5: 816. 1890; King et Pantl. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. (Calcutta) 8: 108, t. 150. 1898; Bruhl, Guide Orch. Sikkim. 78. 1926. P. blumei var. assamica Rchb. f. in Gard. Chron. n.s. 17: 558. 1882. P. blumei var. pulchra King et Pantl. in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. (Calcutta) 8: 109, t.151. 1898.

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Plant terrestrial herb, 44-97 cm tall. Pseudobulbs 3.5-7 cm long, conical to ovoid. Leaves 4-5, 30-76 x 9-17 cm, elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate. Inflorescence 25-94 cm tall, laxly 6 to 16-flowered; rachis 16 cm long; pedicellate- ovary 2.5-4.5 cm long. Flowers 10-13 cm across; sepals and petals white, pale yellow, greenish or rosy on outer surface, reddish to yellow-brown with a golden margin within, tube of lip pink to wine-red, with a yellow base, apical lobe orange, red or white and pink. Sepals and petals similar, spreading, lanceolate to oblanceolate, acuminate. Dorsal sepal 4.4-6.5 x 1.5-1.9 cm, lateral sepals 4.4-6.7 x 1.3-1.7 cm. Petals 4-6.5 x 1.3-1.7 cm. Lip 3- lobed, 3.9-6 x 2-4.3 cm, spurred, obovate, margin crisped-undulate, recurved; callus obscurely 3-ridged; spur 0.8-1.6 cm long, slender. Column 1.9-2.3 cm long. [Fig. 6 and 7].

Voucher specimen : [Rajendra et al. 0811]. Habitat : Terrestrial. Altitudinal ranges : 600-1800m. Date of collection : 10 April 2009. Flowering : March –May. Present Availability Status : Planted. Local distribution within Darjeeling : Samalbong, Primtam, Nimbong, Primtam, Pedong, Pudung, Pedong, Seokbir khani, – Kalimpong Sub-Division; Mangmaya, , – Kurseong Sub-Division; Glenburn Tea Estate, Peshok – Darjeeling Sub-Division. General distribution : India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, SE Asia, China, Japan, Malaysia, , New Guinea, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Fig. 6 (Banks ex I’ Herit.) Bl. (flower close up view)

Fig.7 Phaius tankervilleae (Banks ex I’ Herit.) Bl. (young inflorescence)

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION During recent field studies in the Darjeeling Himalaya of India, three Phaius Orchid species were recorded. Of them, two are rare and one is found in planted condition throughout the Himalayan and sub-himalayan regions of Darjeeling. Flowering of each species varies from each other. Phaius flavus generally flower in the beginning of March and persist till the last week of May and found in an altitudinal range of 550-1600m similarly P. mishmensis flower in the month of August to October and available in an altitudinal range of 1100-2700m and P. tankervilleae flower in the month of March to May and available in an altitudinal ranges of 600-1800m and found planted in home garden throughout study regions.

CONCLUSION It is observed that regular degradation of natural habitat, cause the status of the Orchid species rare and threatened in the regions and their distribution is very meager. Therefore, it is necessary to conserve our precious wild Orchid species diversity from extinction in natural habitat. Because of the selfish and greedy floral nurserymen of this region, we lost the flourishing business as well as the valuable Orchid genetic materials just for few thousand rupees then. We cannot regain the lost of genetic material ever but whatever is left can be saved for future generation. The available law can be strictly implemented to retain our genetic materials. The tissue culture technology could be utilized for the mass multiplication of the available Orchid species and such plants could be planted in the nature.

The most important of all is the initiation of making Orchid a household enterprise. All people living in this region would adopt Orchid as one of their enterprise for earning their livelihood. It grows naturally in the region as it is a natural home for number of species, the growing of Orchids in commercial way big or small depending one’s available resources would be made to improve the economic condition of rural poor. The newly formed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration could come forward to implement this novel idea to make the region an Orchid growing region of the world. It was found that some species were introduced in the region from North-Eastern States of India and these were not seen anywhere in the nature except in the gardens of the nurserymen.

The lost of the Orchid species from Darjeeling Himalaya is also due to commercialization of forest resources by West Bengal Department Corporation few decades back. For earning quick revenue, government commercialized the forest by felling all old indigenous plant species and replanting them by planting quick, straight and tall growing pine trees as mono plantation that has taken away the huge plant resources; the pine species secretes a type of acid that suppresses the growth any other under such plantation. It has destroyed the ecological balance and taken a heavy toll on genetic resources of both flora and fauna.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Author are thankful to the University Grants Commission, New Delhi for awarding Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for Ph.D. in Plant Science to the first author through which survey work on Orchids of Darjeeling Himalaya was carried out.

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