Uttarakhand gets first centre dedicated exclusively to orchid species

Uttarakhands first orchid centre with 70 different species of the plant was inaugurated on Friday at Mandal in Chamoli district. A good number of these orchid species like Ladys Sleeper Orchid comes under threatened category, Chaturvedi said.

Uttarakhand's first orchid center with 70 different species of the plant was inaugurated on Friday at Mandal in Chamoli district. Developed by the research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department, it is divided into four parts – a conservation and demonstration area, a 1.25 km-long orchid trail, an interpretation center, and an orchid nursery, Chief Conservator of Forest (research) Sanjiv Chaturvedi said. It is Uttarakhand's first such center dedicated exclusively to orchid species. The center at present has 70 different orchid species, of which a majority are medicinally rich and ecologically significant, he said. A good number of these orchid species like Lady's Sleeper Orchid come under the threatened category, Chaturvedi said. ''In the process of developing the center over the past two years, we discovered several new orchid species in Mandal which were not reported earlier. They include Liparis pygmaea which is new for the Western Himalayan region, Cephalanthera erecta var oblanceolata, Habenaria stenopetala, Neottia steroids, Oreorchis patens, Dendrobium chrysanthemum, and Calanthe Alpina, '' he said.

Uttarakhand as a whole has around 250 recorded orchid species which represent terrestrial as well as epiphyte species. Mandal valley in the Chamoli district is particularly rich in orchid species due to high rainfall and very rich vegetation cover. The main aim of establishing an orchid center is to conserve orchid species as well as create tourism and livelihood avenues for the local people, he said. Orchid has the same place in the plant kingdom as the tiger in the animal kingdom. However, orchids are very sensitive to ecological changes and are therefore considered good indicators of the health of an ecosystem, the official said. Activities like rapid construction work, deforestation, and the smuggling of orchids have threatened their existence. In Uttarakhand, epiphyte orchids are found mostly on Banjo, Aiyyarn, and Toona trees. Lopping of Banjo Oak for fodder purposes damages epiphyte orchids coming on their branches. All orchid species are protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) which means their international trade requires prior permission. Hatha jadee, Jeevak, Riddhi, Vriddhi, Rishbhak, Salam Mishri, are some of the prominent medicinal orchid species found in Uttarakhand. Four out of the eight herbs forming Ashtavarga, which is a basic ingredient of popular immunity booster Chyavanprash, comes from Orchid species, Chaturvedi informed. Sikkim and the North Eastern States have promoted the use of orchids on a big scale, for tourism purposes as well as for livelihood since orchids have a long shelf life. The beauty of orchids, their unusual pattern, and color combinations are considered very good for the cut flower business, he said.