Trends in Biosciences 10(20), Print : ISSN 0974-8431, 3873-3874, 2017

Cymbidium cyperifolium Lindl. (Orchidaceae): A New Distributional Record for Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India RAJENDRA YONZONE Taxonomy and Ethnobiology Research Laboratory, Cluny Women’s College, P.O. Kalimpong, District Kalimpong, West Bengal email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT Arctic circle and from lowland areas to almost upto snowling Cymbidium cyperifolium Lindl. (Orchidaceae) is reported regions (Yonzone and Rai, 2016). It is estimated 25,000 to 35,000 Orchid species widely distributed all over the world here for the first time from the Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India. Brief taxonomic description of the and about 1300 species with 140 genera of Orchid species species along with illustrated photographs are provided are found in India with temperate Himalayas as their natural home (Yonzone, 2015). for easy identification. The genus Cymbidium was described in 1799 by Olof Key words Orchidaceae, New record, Cymbidium Swartz (1760-1818) in Nova Acta Regiae Societatis cyperifolium, Darjeeling Himalaya. Scientiarum Upsaliensis. It comprises about 50 species distributed in India, East through S.E. Asia, China, Japan, Indonesia to Australia. (Pearce and Cribb, 2002). There are In India, Orchids from 10% of the world orchid flora 70 species which are terrestrial, lithophytic or epiphytic in with Himalayas as their natural home (Medhi and habitat distributed over Indo-Malayan region, tropical Chakrabarti, 2009) and the largest and commercially Australia and also in Korea, Japan and China. In India, important flowering plants (Mulgaonkar and Dabhade, they are mostly distributed in the Eastern Himalayan regions 2010) and are considered to be the highly evolved among at an elevation of 1500-2000m. Some species reported to the monocotyledons. They exhibit incredible diversity in occur in the North-Western Himalayas and also in the hills shape, size, structure, colour and fragrance of flowers of Southern India (Bose et al. 1999). (Kalita, 2006) and three different life forms viz., epiphytic, terrestrial and saprophytic and are pretty admired among During orchid flora exploration expeditions of the the professional and amateur orchid lovers of the world Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India in 2016, I have (Arora, 1985). They are widely distributed from equator to collected interesting terrestrial Cymbidium specimens from

Fig. 1. Cymbidium cyperifolium Lindl. A. Full blooming flowers in intact plant, B. Digital display of floral parts, a. dorsal sepal, b. side sepals, c. petals, d. lip in natural position, e. lip in flattened view, f. pedicellate ovary with column, g. anther, h. pollinia, i. floral bract. (measurement in centimeter) 3874 Trends in Biosciences 10 (20), 2017

Neora Valley of Kalimpong. After critical study and Geographical distribution: Nepal, North East India, China, taxonomic analysis the unidentified Cymbidium species has Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines. been identified as Cymbidium cyperifolium Lindl. A perusal LITERATURE CITED of earlier literature related to the Orchid flora of Darjeeling, (Hooker 1888-1890; King and Pantling, 1898; Hara, 1966; Arora, Y.K., 1985. Conservation and Trade of Orchids. Biology, Conservation, and Culture of Orchids, Proc. Vol. ed. Vij, S.P., Hara, 1971; Ohashi, 1975; Pradhan, 1979, Pradhan and East – West Press, 381 – 386. Pradhan, 1997; Pearce and Cribb, 2002 and Yonzone et al. Bose, T.K., Bhattacharjee, S.K., Das, P. and U.C. Basak., 1999. 2012a, 2012b) revealed that the occurrence of this species Orchids of India. Revised Edition. Naya Prokash. Calcutta, India, has not been reported earlier from Darjeeling Himalayan pp 178. region and hence the present collection is its first record of Hara, H., 1966. The Flora of Eastern Himalaya, Tokyo, University occurrence as Cymbidium cyperifolium Lindl. for Darjeeling of Tokyo press, Japan. Himalaya of West Bengal, India. The newly collected Hara H., 1971. The Flora of Eastern Himalaya, Second Report, specimens have been deposited in the Herbarium of University of Tokyo press, Japan. Taxonomy and Ethnobiology Research Laboratory, Cluny Hooker, J.D., 1888-1890. The Flora of British India. Vol. 5 & 6. L. Women’s College, Kalimpong for future references. A Reeve & Co. London. detailed taxonomic account of the species along with Kalita, P.C., 2006. Diversity in orchids of Bhahmaputra Valley, habitat, altitudinal range, current status, local distribution Central Assam, India. Phytotaxonomy. 6: 96 – 98. within Darjeeling and geographical distribution is provided King, G. and R. Pantling., 1898. The Orchids of the Sikkim-Himalaya. here to authenticate the new record and facilitate its easy In Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta 8, India. identification. Medhi, R.P. and S. Chakrabarti., 2009. Traditional Knowledge of Cymbidium cyperifolium Lindl., Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: NE people on conservation of wild orchids. Indian J. Tradn. 163. 1833; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 6: 13. 1890; King & Pantl., Knowl. 8(1): 11 – 16. Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8: 186, t. 248. 1898. Cymbidium Mulgaonkar, M.S. and G.T. Dabhade., 2010. Pollen study of six viridiflorum Griff., Itin. Pl. Khasyah Mts.: 53. 1848. C. species of terrestrial orchids under scanning electron microscopy carnosum Griff., Not. Pl. Asiat. 3: 339. 1851; Cyperorchis (SEM) from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. Phytotaxonomy. wallichii Bl., Coll. Orchid.: 92. 1858. 10: 63 – 69. Plant 25-45cm tall. Pseudobulbs inconspicuous. Ohashi, H., 1975. The Flora of Eastern Himalaya, Third Report. Leaves 7-10, distichous, 25-45x1-1.5cm, narrowly elliptic, University of Tokyo press, Japan. acute, erect, obscurely jointed; sheath fibrous. Pearce, N.R. and P.J. Cribb., 2002. Flora of Bhutan. The Orchids of Inflorescence 4-7-flowered; peduncle sheathed; floral bracts Bhutan. Vol. 3, part 3. Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. linear to narrowly ovate. Flower 4-5.5cm across; yellow- Pradhan, U.C., 1979. Indian Orchids Guide to Identification and green; pedicellate ovary 2-3.5cm. Sepals subsimilar, 3- Culture, (Vol. II) Premulaceae Books, Kalimpong, India. 3.8x0.6-0.8cm, narrowly oblong-elliptic, acute, erect, yellow- Pradhan, U.C. and S.C. Pradhan., 1997. 100 Beautiful Himalayan green; side sepals spreading. Petals 2-3x0.7-0.9cm, ovate- Orchids and how to grow them, Premulaceae Books, Kalimpong, elliptic, acute, porrect. Lip 1.8-2.3cm long, pale green-white, India. purple spotted; side lobes rounded; apical lobe oblong- Yonzone, Rajendra., Bhujel, R.B., Lama, D. and S. Rai., 2012a. ovate, obtuse to subacute, recurved, entire, papillose; callus Orchid species Diversity of Darjeeling Himalaya of India. Int. J. Pharm. Lif. Sci. (I.J.P.L.S) 3(3): 1533 – 1550. bi-ridged, converging at base of apical lobe. Column 1.3- 1.6cm long, curved, narrowly winged. Yonzone, Rajendra., Lama, D., Bhujel, R.B., Gogoi, K. and S. Rai., 2012b. Terrestrial and Semi Saprophytic Orchid species diversity Specimen examined: INDIA, WEST BENGAL, Darjeeling of Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India. McAllen Int. Himalaya, District Kalimpong, Neora Valley 2130m, 26 Orch. Soc. J., U.S.A. (MIOSJ)13(4): 2 – 20. December 2016, Rajendra Yonzone, 1426 (CWC). (Fig. 1. A Yonzone Rajendra., 2015. Studies on the Orchid Flora of Darjeeling & B). Himalaya. Ph. D. Thesis. University of North Bengal, Raja Flowering and Fruiting: November-March. Rammohunpur, Siliguri, District Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. Habitat and ecology: Terrestrial, Rare in shady forest slopes. Yonzone, Rajendra. and S. Rai., 2016. Dendrobium Diversity in Darjeeling Himalaya, Taxonomic Details with Cultivation Note on distribution in India: distribution in India from Practices. Directorate of Cinchona and Other Medicinal Plants, Garhwal, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur; within Mungpoo, Darjeeling, India. altitudinal range 1000-2000m (Bose et al. 1999). Received on 17-05-2017 Accepted on 22-05-2017