ORCHIDS OF INDIA

About: 

• Orchids of India: A Pictorial Guide was published recently by the Botanical Survey of India.
  
  
• It is the first comprehensive census of orchids of India.
  
  
• Key highlights:
  • The 1,256 species or taxa of orchids belong are found in India.
    
    
  • 388 species of orchids are endemic to India of which about one-third (128) endemic species are found in Western Ghats.
    
    
  • The publication also contains photographs of 775 species.
    
    
  • While north-east India rank at the top in species concentration, the Western Ghats have high endemism of orchids.
    
    
  • The highest number of orchid species is recorded from Arunachal Pradesh with 612 species, followed by Sikkim 560 species and West Bengal.
    
    
  • Among the 10 bio geographic zones of India, the Himalayan zone is the richest in terms of orchid species followed by Northeast, Western Ghats, Deccan plateau and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
    
    
  
  
  
• Categories:
  • Orchids can be broadly categorised into three life forms: (1) epiphytic, (2) terrestrial and (3) mycoheterotrophic.
    
    
  • About 757 species or 60% of all orchids found in the country are epiphytic, 447 are terrestrial and 43 are mycoheterotrophic.