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Orchids |
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Orchids are highly valued for their fantastic range of
variation and long lasting flowers. Of 17,000 species of
orchids in the world, about 1,250 occur in India, of which
nearly 300 are to be found in Meghalaya. They form a very
noticeable element of the vegetation of the State and these
hills have been the classical collection centres of many
celebrated botanists and horticultural plant-collectors. They
are, as a result, becoming scarce and some of the ornamental
species are nearing extinction. The orchids of Meghalaya have
distributions extending upto Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal, China on
one hand and Burma, Malaya, Thailand on the other. Few species
are only confined to Meghalaya. In Cherrapunji, the two
forests - Mawsmai and Mawmluh contain the highest number of
orchid species in the whole region. Sohrarim is another forest
on the way to Cherrapunji which is paradise of Botanists.
Conservation of orchids is now a matter of universal concern.
There is urgent need to maintain orchid sanctuaries and
special efforts must be made to protect the 'Sacred forests'
of Meghalaya, hitherto preserved by religious sanction alone.
'Orchid banks' may be created in orchidaria or in forest
nurseries by bringing endangered species from their natural
habitat and displaying them for the public.
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Dendrobium ochreatum Wall. Ex
Lindl.
Stems short, stout, erect, 12-15 cm lon g, old stems
decumbent, internodes contracted in the middle, sheaths
inflated, many-leaved. Leaves sessile, lanceolate,
unequally acuminate, 6-7.5 cm long, ca 2.3 cm broad, 2-4
on short peduncle at nodes, leaf-opposed. Flowers golden
yellow, mild scented, large, 2.5-4 cm across, pedicelled
ovary ca 3.5 cm long, green; bracts ovate, ca 2 mm long;
sepals oblong-lanceolate, acute, 5-nerved, ca 3 cm long,
ca 1.5 cm broad; petals elliptic-lanceolate, acute, as
long as sepals, 3-nerved; lip yellow with a red blotch in
the middle and red lines at the base, shortly clawed,
orbicular, ca 3 cm long; margins erose, pubescent within;
mentum short, ca 5 mm long, obtuse; column stoaut, ca 3 mm
long, foot as long as column.
Flowering: April-May
Occurrence: Cherrapunji, Shillong; Jaintia Hills,
Padingshin Kap; Garo Hills, Tura top |
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Anthogonum gracile Lindl.
Pseudobulbs underground, ca 7 mm across. Stems 2-5 cm
long, sheathed; sheaths few, tubular. Leaves 15-25 cm
long, ca 14 mm broad, nerves 5, distinct. Inflorescence
25-40 cm long, shorter or longer than the leaves. Flowers
pale to dark pink, c a2 cm long; bracts ca 3 mm long,
acuminate; pedicelled ovary ca 1.3 cm long, slender;
sepals connate forming a long slender tube, almost twice
as long the free ends; dorsal sepal oblong, obtuse, erect,
ca 7 mm long; lateral sepals broad, revolute; petals
pinkish-white, clawed, linear, falcate, ca 1.5 cm long, ca
1.2 cm wide, embracing the column.
Flowering: August-September
Occurrence: Cherrapunji, Mawmluh forest, Jarain,
Laitlyngkot, Matem, Pynursla, Shillong, Elephant falls,
Sohrarim |
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Paphiopedilum insigne (Wall. ex.
Lindl.) Pfitz.
Leaves 6-12, oblong, acutely bifid, green 12-20 cm long,
ca 2.5 cm broad; midrib distinct; base sheathed. Scapes
terete, purple, pubescent, 10-12 cm long, 1-flowered.
Flowers large, spreading, 7-9 cm across; bracts oblong,
acute, inflated, half or more than the length of
pedicelled ovary, 3-4 cm long; dorsal sepal
orbicular-ovate, 4-5.5 cm long, 3-4.5 cm broad, white,
basal end purplish-white, purple blotched, scattered; apex
round, incurved; lateral sepals narrowly ovate, 3.5-4.5 vm
long, 1.8-2.5 cm broad, purplish white, purple dotted,
petals spreading, linear-oblong, acute or obtuse, ca 5 cm,
ca 1 cm broad, greenish-white, ciliate; lip sessile, ca 5
cm long, 3-lobed; sidelobes ovate, incurved; midlobe
obovate; apex pointed, greenish-purple.
Flowering : November-February
Occurrence : Cherrapunji, S |
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Dendrobium williamsonii Day &
Reichb.f.
Stems stout, close, fusiform, 15-20 cm long, few-noded;
internodes ca 3 cm long, sheathed; sheaths striate,
covered with black deciduous hairs. Leaves few towards
apex only, oblong or lanceolate, 5-7 cm long, ca 2 cm
broad, puberulous at base; apex obliquely 2-lobed. Flowers
pale yellow, 1-2 terminal on a short bracteate peduncle,
ca 4 cm across; bracts very small, ca 2 mm long,
membranous; pedicelled ovary ca 2.2 cm long, curved,
greenish-white; sepals ovate or lanceolate, acuminate,
5-nerved, 2.5-3 cm long; lateral sepals joined with the
foot forming a conical mentum; mentum straight, ca 1.5 cm
long; petals oblanceolate, acute, 5-nerved, ca 2.3 cm
long, ca 8 mm broad; lip yellow with red lines on the
sidelobes, 3 cm long, ca 8 mm broad; lip yellow with red
lines on the sidelobes, 3 cm long, 3-lobed; sidelobes
short, broad, crisped; midlobe oblong or orbicular,
undulate or crisped, hairy within; disk 3-ridged; column
ca 1 cm long; apex undulate; opercolum orbicular; base
ciliate.
Flowering: April-May
Occurrence: Jowai, Shillong, Peak forest |
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Dendrobium densiflorum Lindl.
Stem erect, crowed, 20-30 cm long, clavate, 4 angled,
gradually tapering towards base few- noded; internodes ca
3 cm long, sheathed. Leaves shortly petioled, few,
sub-terminal, broadly lanceolate, 10-12 cm long, 3.5-4 cm
broad, acute. Inflorescence 1-2, laterals, 15-20 cm long
pendulous, many-flowers. Flower yellow, crowded, ca 4 cm
across; bracts coriaceaus, many- nerved, pale brown,
crumpled; pedicelled ovary subequal, ca 3.5 cm long;
sepals 0vate, acute, greenish white, ca 2 cm long ca 1.2
cm broad; laterals sepals jointed with the food of the
column forming short sublobose mentum; petals elliptic,
3-nerved, ca 2.2 cm long, ca 1.5 cm broad; margin erose;
lip clawed, orbicular, ca 2.4 cm long; base incurved;
margin erose; disk pubescent, dark golden yellow; column
short, stout, ca 4 mm long.
Flowering: May-June
Occurrence: Cherrapunji, Shillong |
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