Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2018 | 10(15): 13039–13043

 

 

Notes on the occurrence of orchids Bulbophyllum medioximum, Herminium edgeworthii and H. macrophyllum (Orchidaceae) in Arunachal Pradesh, India

 

Krishna Chowlu 1, Avishek Bhattacharjee 2 & Pankaj Kumar 3

 

1 Botanical Survey of India, Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre, Senki View, Papum Pare, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh 791111, India

2 Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, West Bengal 711103, India

3 Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Lam Kam Road, Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong S.A.R., China

1 krishnachowlu@gmail.com, 2 aviorch@gmail.com,3 pkumar@kfbg.org (corresponding author)

 

 

 

doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4071.10.15.13039-13043

 

Editor: K. Ravikumar, I-AIM (FRLHT), Bengaluru, India.       Date of publication: 26 December 2018 (online & print)

 

Manuscript details: Ms # 4071 | Received 10 February 2018 | Final received 14 November 2018 | Finally accepted 30 November 2018

 

Citation: Chowlu, K., A. Bhattcharjee & P. Kumar (2018). Notes on the occurrence of orchids Bulbophyllum medioximum, Herminium edgeworthii and H. macrophyllum (Orchidaceae) in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(15): 13039–13043; https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4071.10.15.13039-13043

 

Copyright: © Chowlu et al. 2018. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.

 

Funding: Botatnical Survey of India.

 

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

Acknowledgements: We are thankful to the Director, Paramjit Singh, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.  We would like to thank Dr. Luvkush, ex research scholar of BSI, Dehradun for his suggestions.  The first author would like to thank Mr. Sunil Soniyal who accompanied her to the forest during the field survey.

 

 

 

Arunachal Pradesh, the northeastern most state of India, is a part of the eastern Himalaya and considered as one of the biodiversity rich regions of the Eastern Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspot (CEPF 2018).  Out of 1,350 species of orchids recorded from India, about 560 species are reported from Arunachal Pradesh (Rao 2006).  Arunachal Pradesh may be botanically termed as the ‘Orchid Paradise of India’ because of the maximum concentration of orchid species (about 40% of the country) in the state when compared to the other states of the country (Rao 2010).  During a routine floristic survey in West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, a few orchid specimens (in flowering) belonging to the genera Bulbophyllum and Herminium were collected by the first author and brought for cultivation to the botanical garden of the Botanical Survey of India, Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre, Itanagar for further studies.  After dissection, a necessary perusal of the literature (Pearce & Cribb 2002; Luksom 2007; Chen et al. 2009) and consultation of herbarium material deposited at APFH, ARUN ASSAM, K and BM the specimens have been identified as Bulbophyllum medioximum J.J.Verm., Schuit. & de Vogel, Herminium macrophyllum (D.Don) Dandy. and Herminium edgeworthii (Hook. f. ex Collett) X.H.Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & Lu Q. Huang of which the former is a new record for Indian flora while the latter two have not been reported so far from Arunachal Pradesh, constituting new records for the state.  An updated taxonomy of the species has been provided following Govaerts et al. (2018).

 

New Record for India

1. Bulbophyllum medioximum J.J.Verm., Schuit. & de Vogel, Phytotaxa 166: 104. 2014 (Image 1)

Ione annamensis Ridl., J. Nat. Hist. Soc. Siam 4: 115. 1921.

Sunipia annamensis (Ridl.) P.F.Hunt, Kew Bull. 26: 183. 1971.

Type: Vietnam, Langbian Province, South Annam, Langbian Peaks, C. Boden Kloss s.n.

(BM000525247) (BM!).

Plant epiphytic herb, 18–21 cm high including the inflorescence.  Rhizome creeping, 5–11 mm long. Pseudobulbs 1.3–1.8 × 0.5–0.8 cm, ovoid, 1.2–1.7 cm apart on rhizome.  Leaves solitary, 7–8 × 1.0–1.2 cm, oblong-lanceolate, minutely bilobed at apex, coriaceous, petiole c. 0.4 cm long. Inflorescence 18–21 cm long, erect; peduncle 15–17 cm long, arising from the base of pseudobulbs, covered by the brown sheathing bracts at the base, upper portion with c. 5 sterile bracts, terete, greenish-black; rachis 2.5–3.0 cm long, up to four flowers per inflorescence.  Flower c. 5mm across (petal to petal), widely opening, pale purple with deep purple linings, lip with pale purple with deep purple linings and yellow in epichile.  Pedicellate ovary 6–7 mm long, light green.  Floral bracts 4–5 × 2.3–2.5 mm, lanceolate, acute at apex, translucent creamy, prominent.  Dorsal sepal 5–6 × 3–4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute at apex, pale purple with deep purple lining, 5 nerved, margins minutely recurved.  Lateral sepals 8–10 × 3.5–4.0 mm, oblong-lanceolate, bifid at apex, two sepals fused to form a single structure or sepal (synsepalum) but free at apex, lying perpendicular to the pedicellate ovary.  Petals 2.5–3.0 × 2.0–2.5 mm, 1-nerved, triangular-ovate, acute, minutely serrate along the margin.  Lip simple, 4–5 × 3.5 mm, cup shaped, keeled, pale purple with deep purple linings with epichile yellow, obtuse at apex, base thickened and connate with very short foot of column.  Column 3.5–4 mm long, greenish-yellow, rostellum with 2 processes; foot c. 1mm long.  Anther cap 0.7–0.8 × 0.5–0.6 mm, pale greenish-white.

Flowering. November–December.

Habitat: Commonly found growing in open grasslands at around 1,071m elevation. 

Distribution: China, India, Thailand and Vietnam.

Specimen examined: 40107 (ARUN), 02.x.2015, India, Arunachal Pradesh, Kameng District, Orchid Sanctuary Sessa, 1,071m, coll. Krishna Chowlu.

 

New record for Arunachal Pradesh

1. Herminium macrophyllum (D. Don) Dandy. J. Bot. 70: 328. 1932 (Image 2)

Neottia macrophylla D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 27. 1825.

Spiranthes macrophylla (D.Don) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 3: 708. 1826.

Peristylus macrophyllus (D.Don) Lawkush, V.Kumar & Bankoti, Indian J. Forest. 36: 388. 2013.

Type: Nepal, 1819, N. Wallich s.n. (BM000034355) (BM!)

Plants 7–20 cm tall. Bulbs ovoid or ellipsoid. Stem green, terete with 2 or 3 leaved. Leaves basal, narrowly oblongelliptic, 4–10 × 0.7–2.2 cm, apex acute to subacute. Inflorescence 515cm long, green; peduncle terete; rachis 2.5–7 cm long, densely many flowered; floral bracts lanceolate, 1–2 mm long, apex acute, shorter than ovary.  Flowers 2–3 mm across, yellowish-green or green; ovary distinctly hooked toward apex. Dorsal sepal ovate, 1.3 –2.4 × 0.6–1.2 mm, obtuse, yellowish-green to green; lateral sepals oblong-lanceolate, 1.5–2.4 × 0.6–1.2 mm, acute.  Petals spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 1.2–2.0 × 0.8–1.2 mm, acuminate, yellowish-green or green; lip ovate-lanceolate, 1.8–2.2 × 0.8–1 mm, 3lobed; Column less than 1mm.

Flowering: June–August.

Habitat: Commonly found growing in open grasslands at 3,670m elevation.

Distribution: China, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

Specimen examined: 40930 (ARUN), 21.ix.2016, India, Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang District, Sela Pass, 3,670m, coll. Krishna Chowlu.

 

2. Herminium edgeworthii (Hook.f. ex Collett) X.H.Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & Lu Q. Huang in Cladistics 32: 32. 2015 (Image 3)

Habenaria edgeworthii Hook. f. ex Collett in Fl. Siml.: 504, t. 166. 1902.

Habenaria acuminata sensu T.A. Rao in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 2: 89. 1960.

Platanthera edgeworthii (Hook. f. ex Collett) R.K. Gupta Fl. Nainital.: 349. 1968.

Type: India, Banasar, August 1834, M.P. Edgeworth s.n. (K000247468) (K!).

Plant fusiform.  Stem leafy base sheathed.  Leaves 3–4, 5–9 × 2–4.5 cm, lower broadly ovate– lanceolate, base sheathing, acute, margins undulate; Stem bracts lanceolate, acute.  Inflorescence 14–26 cm long, subdensely many flowered; rachis erect, c. 20cm long, terete.  Floral bracts lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 0.8–1.5 × 0.2–0.4 cm, green.  Flower 1.5–1.8 cm long, green.  Sepals broadly ovate, 5.5–6.5 × 6.0–7.0 mm, obtuse, concave, margins minutely hairy.  Lateral sepals 6–8 × 5 mm, oblong–ovate, apex acute, margins minutely hairy, apex folded externally.  Petals 7 × 4 mm, lanceolate base broad, apex obtuse, hooked with the dorsal sepal.  Lip simple, 7–8 × 3–4 mm, oblong, obtuse, yellowish-green; spur 1.7–2.1 cm long, green, much longer than the pedicel ovary.  Column 2–3 mm long; stigma oblong.

Flowering: August–September.

Habitat: Found growing in open grassland along with other grasses at around 2,915m elevation.

Distribution: China, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

Specimens examined: 40936 (ARUN), 18.ix.2017, India, Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang District, 2,915m, coll. Krishna Chowlu.

 

References

 

CEPF (2018). Biodiversity Hotspot maps. Conservation International Foundation. Published on the Internet; http://www.cepf.net/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed 20 January 2018.

Chen, Q., Z.J. Liu, G.H. Zhu, K.Y. Lang, Z.H. Ji, Y.B. Luo, X.B. Jin, P.J. Cribb, J.J. Wood, S.W. Gale, P. Ormerod, J.J. Vermeulen, H.P. Wood, D. Clayton & A. Bell (2009). Orchidaceae, Pp. 236–245. In: Wu, Z.Y., P.H. Raven & D.Y. Hong (eds.). Flora of China - Vol. 25. Science Press, Beijing & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Govaerts, R., M.A. Campacci, D.H. Baptista, P.J. Cribb, A. George, K. Kreutz  & J.J. Wood (2018). World Checklist of Orchidaceae. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet: https://www.kew.org/wcsp/monocots/ (accessed on 14 November 2018)

Luksom, S.Z. (2007). The Orchids of Sikkim and North East Himalaya. Concept, Siliguri. 984pp.

Pearce, N.R. & P.J. Cribb  (2002). Orchids of Bhutan. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburg and Royal Government of Bhutan, 221–233pp.

Rao, A.N. (2006). Alpine orchids of Arunachal Pradesh. Bulletin of Arunachal Forest Research 22(1&2): 27–32.

Rao, A.N. (2010). Orchid Flora of Arunachal Pradesh an update. Bulletin of Arunachal Forest Research 26(1&2): 82–110.