A rare orchid has been found in Uttarakhand (representative image)
Dehradun:
A rare orchid, Liparis Pygmaea, has been found for the first time in the western Uttarakhand region of the Himalayas. The flower was discovered by a team from the research wing of the Uttarakhand forest department at an altitude of 3,800 meters during a hike to Saptakund in Chamoli, in early June. Samples sent by the forestry department to the Botanical Survey of India confirmed this as stated by Liparis Pygmaea, Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjiv Chaturvedi.
The discovery made by a two-member team consisting of field officer Harish Negi and junior researcher Manoj Singh has been recognized by the French scientific research journal ‘Richardiana’, which published an article on the discovery.
Liparis Pygmaea is a small terrestrial orchid that blooms in June-July. As it was first found in the western Himalayas, botanists consider it a very significant discovery, the official said.
Calling it an important advance in the study of rare orchid species, which are restricted to the alpine area of the Himalayas, Mr. Chaturvedi said appropriate measures must be taken to preserve it. The orchid appears on the red list of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Apart from one location in Uttarakhand, the species has been found in three locations in Sikkim and one in West Bengal in the past. It has also been sighted in Nepal and China, said the article published in the French magazine.
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