Bioscience Discovery 3(2): 207-213, June 2012 ISSN: 2229-3469 (Print) GENETIC DIVERSITY RESOURCES, DISTRIBUTION AND PRESENT ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF FIFTEEN NEW RECORDS OF ORCHID SPECIES TO ASSAM OF EASTERN HIMALAYA Khyanjeet Gogoi¹, R. L. Borah², G. C. Sharma³ and Rajendra Yonzone4 ¹ Daisa Bordoloi Nagar, Talap, Tinsukia - 786156, Assam, India ² Dept. of Botany, DHSK College, Dibrugarh - 786001, Assam, India ³ Dept. of Botany Guwahati University-781014, Assam, India. 4Dept. of Botany, St. Joseph’s College, North Point, Darjeeling, W. B., India 734104 [email protected] ABSTRACT Present paper deals 15 Orchid species with 12 genera viz., Bryobium pudicum, Bulbophyllum apodum, Chrysoglossum ornatum, Cleisostoma linearilobatum, C. simondii, Collabium chinense, Diploprora championii, Eria connate, E. ferruginea, Taeniophyllum crepidiforme, Tainia wrayana, Thelasis pygmaea, Thrixspermum acuminatissimum, T. pygmaeum, and Z. glandulosa were recorded from Dibrugarh district of Assam of Eastern Himalaya for the first time and reported as new distributional records to the state. Out of 15 species 11 species are epiphytic and the rest 4 are terrestrial in habitat. All the species are enumerated with latest citation, brief description, phonology, present ecological status and local distribution within Assam. Key words: New records, orchid species, distribution, ecological status, Assam. INTRODUCTION and general distribution. Colour photographs for all The Indian state, Assam is the gateway of the North the species are also provided. East region of Eastern Himalaya bears a separate identity phytogeographically and represents a MATERIALS AND METHODS number of types of plant communities. Its unique STUDY AREA ecosystem favors the luxuriant growth of plants Dibrugarh District is located in eastern part considered natures reservoir of plants resources- of upper Assam with an area of 3381 sq. km. The unparalleled compared to any place in the world district extends from 27˚5´ N to 27˚42´ N latitude regards to its richness of floristic composition. and 94˚33´ E to 95˚29´ E longitude. It is bounded by Almost all varieties of plants relating to different Dhemaji district on the north, Sivasagar district on climatic conditions are found in the state where the south and south east, Tinsukia district on the orchids are a major component of vegetation. east and Lakhimpur district on the west. The area Assam orchids show all the types of habits and stretches from the North bank of the mighty growth forms as are found in orchidaceous plants. Brahmaputra, which flows for a langth of 95 km. Assam is the second largest state of North-East through the northern part of the district to the India and is a rich storehouse of Indian Orchids. The Patkai foothills in the south. At the foothills the forests of Assam possess a large number of altitude is 200m MSL and the Burhidihing river bank beautiful important Orchids. The total number of is 99m MSL. Orchid species may be around 193 under 71 genera Joypur Reserve forest forms a part of the out of which 27 are endemics (Rao, 1995; Hegde, world heritage of tropical/sub-tropical wet 2000). In the present investigation, all the above evergreen forest, classified as 1B/CI, multistoried in mentioned species are enumerated below in structure and rich in biodiversity, more popularly alphabetic order along with latest nomenclature, known as ‘Rain forest’. The forest is rich in voucher specimen, habitat ecology, brief biodiversity and one of the great reservoir of orchid description, phenology, date of collection, present germplasm due to its high rainfall, relative humidity ecological status, local distribution within etc. Jokai, Namdang, Telpani and Dihingmukh were Dibrugarh district of Assam of Eastern Himalaya mixed forest with evergreen patches, types are 3/152 and 4D/SSI [2]. http://www. biosciencediscovery.com 207 ISSN: 2231-024X (Online) Gogoi et al., All these forests are close to the bank of river Epiphytic, pseudobulbs crowded, ovate, 2.5-3.5 x Buridihing or touching it. The present report is the 1-2 cm fusiform, 3-4 cm × 5-7 mm, enclosed in 4 or outcome of several field trips encompassing all the 5 membranous sheaths, 2- or 3-noded; leaves season have been carried out throughout solitary, elliptic, oblong, 12-15 x 3-3.5 cm, acute, Dibrugarh district of Assam of Eastern Himalaya petiolate; inflorescence lateral, arising from the during 2009-2011. The specimens collected in the base of the pseudobulb, 3-4 cm, densely maney flowering and fruiting stages and were processed flowered, grayish white pubescent; flowers into dried and mounted herbarium specimens spreading, pinkish white, pubescent, buff with following Jain and Rao, 1977. Identification were darker strips. done using standard orchid manuals Chowdhery, Habitat: Epiphyte in deciduous forest and 1998; Deorani and Naithani, 1995; Deva and evergreen forest; Flowering: April – August; Local Nathani, 1968; Hooker, 1890; Pangtey et al., 1991; distribution within Dibrugarh district: Jeypore R. F.; Pradhan,1979; Seidenfaden 1973 and by matching General distribution: Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo; at the Herbarium [Accession Number: 0495, 0492, Present ecological status: Rare. 0252, 0493, 0221, 0237, 0711, 0480, 0507, 0506, 0481, 0487, 0510, 0714, 0508, 0511] of the BSI Bulbophyllum apodum Hook. F., Fl. Brit. India 5: Shillong (Assam herbarium), Department of Botany, 766. 1890. Guwahati University. Finally all the Herbarium Bulbophyllum ebulbum King & Pantl., J. Asiat. Soc. specimens are deposited in the Herbarium, Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 64(2): 334. 1895. Department of Botany, Guwahati University. For [Accession Number: Gogoi et al., 0492.] the assessment of present ecological status, plot of Epiphyte, rhizomes stout, smooth, pseudobulb 10m x10m quadrates was laid down diagonally in absent; leaf 15-18 x 2.5-3 cm, solitary arising from the habitat rich field for epiphytic and 5m x5m rhizome at distance of 7.5 cm, oblong- lanceolate, quadrates for terrestrial Orchid species. acute, ending in a channeled petiole, 4-4.5 cm long; inflorescence many flowered racemes, arising from RESULTS AND DISCUSSION the base of leaves, shorter, many flowered; flowers ENUMERATION pale-green, about 0.8 cm long; sepals equal, During the periodic field explorations in Dibrugarh lanceolate, acuminate; petals linear-lanceolate; lip district of Assam of Eastern Himalaya, 113 Orchid oblong stipitate; column with small quadrate wings, species with 46 genera have been identified with arms minute. extended distribution. Out of them, 15 species have Habitat: Epiphyte on tree trunks in dense humid been identified as Bryobium pudicum, evergreen forest; Flowering: May – June; Local Bulbophyllum apodum, Chrysoglossum ornatum, distribution within Dibrugarh district: Jeypore R. F.; Cleisostoma linearilobatum, C. simondii, Collabium General distribution: N.E. India, China, Thailand, chinense, Diploprora championii, Eria connata, E. Vietnam, Malaysia, Vietnam, Java, Sumatra, ferruginea, Taeniophyllum crepidiforme, Tainia Borneo, Philippines; Present ecological status: Rare. wrayana, Thelasis pygmaea, Thrixspermum acuminatissimum, T. pygmaeum, and Z. glandulosa Chrysoglossum ornatum Bl., Bijdr. 338. 1825. which are not recorded earlier from Assam of Chrysoglossum erraticum Hook. F. Fl. Brit. India, 5: Eastern Himalaya and hence they have been 784, 1890. [Accession Number: Borah et al., 0252.] reported here as new records to the state. Of them, Terrestrial, pseudobulbs, cylindricconic, 5-7 × 0.8-2 Cleisostoma, Eria, Thrixspermum and Zeuxine cm, 1-leaved; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, strongly possess 2 species each and the others have only plicate, 20-34 × 4.5-7.5 cm, papery, 5-veined, base one species out of 16 species, 11 are epiphytic and cuneate, apex shortly acuminate; petiole 10 cm; the rest 5 are terrestrial in habitat. peduncle to 50 cm, glabrous, with 4 or 5 sheaths; rachis laxly 10-12 flowered; flowers green with Bryobium pudicum (Ridl.) Y.P. Ng & P.J. Cribb, reddish brown spots, lip white or yellowish spotted Orchid Rev. 113: 272. 2005. with purple, column white. Eria pudica Ridl. in Jour. Linn. Soc. 32: 294. 1896. Habitat: Shaded and humid places in forests; [Accession Number: Gogoi et al., 0495.] Flowering: August – October; Local distribution within Dibrugarh district: Jeypore R. F.; General http://www. biosciencediscovery.com 208 ISSN: 2231-024X (Online) Bioscience Discovery 3(2): 207-213, June 2012 ISSN: 2229-3469 (Print) distribution: N. E. India, China, Taiwan, Bhutan, Habitat: Shaded and humid places in dense forests; Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Flowering: June – July; Local distribution within Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Present ecological Dibrugarh district: Jeypore R. F.; General status: Rare. distribution: N. E. India, China, Thailand, Vietnam; Present ecological status: Rare. [Fig: 3] Cleisostoma linearilobatum (Seidenf. & Smitinand) Garay, Bot. Mus. Leaf. 23: 172. 1972; Hook. f., Fl. Diploprora championii (Lindl. ex Benth.) Hook. F. Brit. India, 6: 75. 1890. [Accession Number: Gogoi Fl. Brit. India. 6(1): 26. 1890 (as championi); Hook. et al., 0493.] F., Icon. Pl. 22: t. 2120. 1892; King & Pantl. in Ann. Epiphytic; stem short,; leaves oblong 8-10 x 2-2.8 R. Bot. Gard. Calc. 8: t. 2120. 1898; Saldanha & cm, obliquely truncate at apex; inflorescence Nicolson, Fl. Hassan 824. 1976; Liu & Su, Fl. Taiwan pendulous often branched, 20-25 cm long, 5: 975. 1978. peduncles purplish; raceme many flowered; flowers Cottonia championii Lindl. ex Benth. in Hooker’s