Bulletin of Arunachal Forest Research 27 (1&2) : 1-33, 2011.
A REVIEW ON THE SUBFAMILY SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER
(ORCHIDACEAE) IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
A. Nageswara Rao
State Forest Research Institute,P.B.-159, Itanagar-791111
Arunachal Pradesh
e-Mail : drraosfri@sify.com
Abstract
Following the classification of family Orchidaceae proposed by D.L.Szlachetco
(1995), the subfamily Spiranthoideae Dressl. is represented by 43 species of 12 genera in
Arunachal Pradesh. Among the 12 genera, Goodyera is the largest with 13 species followed by
Zeuxine (8 spp.), Cheirostylis (6 spp.) and Odontochilus (5spp.). 3 genera viz. Anoectochilus,
Erythrodes and Rhomboda are represented by 2 species each while the remaining 5 genera
viz. Chamaegastrodia, Herpysma, Hetaeria, Myrmechis and Spiranthes are represented by 1
species each in the state. A taxonomic account is provided in the paper for all the 43 species
including identification keys for genera and species, description and distribution details.
INTRODUCTION
Based on a 12-year long critical study on the
morphology and anatomy of the reproductive structures of about 3,500 species of orchids belonging to
about 750 genera, D.L. Szlachetco has reclassified the
Order Orchidales in 1995. As per his classification,
the subfamily Spiranthoideae Dressl. comprises of 3
tribes, 10 subtribes and about 105 genera(Table.1).
Table.1: Classification of Subfamily Spiranthoideae
Tribe
Subtribe
Goodyerinae
Klotz.
Ludisiinae
Goodyereae
Szlac.
King et
Pantl.
Cheirostyliidinae Szlac.
Total
genera
27
4
9
Genera in
Arunachal
Erythrodes;
Goodyera;
Herpysma ;
Chamaegastrodia;
Odontochilus
Anoectochilus;
Cheirostylis;
Hetaeria; Myrmechis ; Rhomboda ; Zeuxine
Prescottiinae
Dressl.
Spiranthinae
Lindl.
Stenorrhynchidinae
Spirantheae
Szlac.
Endl.
Cyclopogoninae Szlac.
Manniellinae
Schltr.
Pachyplectroninae
Schltr.
Cranichideae Cranichidinae Lindl.
Endl.
8
-
27
Spiranthes
13
-
7
-
1
-
1
-
8
-
Among the orchids reported so far from
Arunachal Pradesh, 43 species of about 12 genera
belong to the subfamily Spiranthoideae. Here, I have
added one genus Rhomboda Bl. which was reinstated
by Ormerod (1995) to the list under subtribe Cheirostylidinae Szlach.
Most of the orchid species of Spiranthoideae
especially of the genera like Anoectochilus, Goodyera,
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Macodes, Zeuxine etc. are popularly known as ‘Jewel
orchids’ by orchid growers due to the attractive colours
and ornamentation on the leaves.
10a.Mesochile of lip with long fringes;
hypochile spurred….....………. Anoectochilus
10b. Mesochile of lip toothed or shortly
fringed; hypochile saccate…....…Odontochilus
11a. Hypochile of lip with medial bicarinate
callus in addition to basal callii inside;
with flanges on exterior surface…... Rhomboda
11b. Hypochile without bicarinate callus
except basal calli ; no flanges
on exterior surface …........................... Zeuxine
All the 43 species recorded so far from Arunachal
Pradesh are enumerated below along with identification keys and descriptions. Plates of line drawings and
colour photos for selected species are also provided.
Key to the Genera
1a. Roots usually scattered on
the rhizome. Pollinia sectile……….………… 2
1b. Roots tuberous, elongate, in
a cluster at the base of the stem;
pollinia soft and mealy……..…….. Spiranthes
2a. Stigmatic area one……….…..………………. 3
2b. Stigmatic areas two… ……..….…………… 6
3a. Plants saprophytic without
any green leaves; underground
rhizome branched …….…. Chamaegastrodia
3b. Plants autophytic with green
leaves; rhizome or prostate stem simple ..….…. 4
4a. Lip saccate at base with villi inside
..……………...………..…..….……. Goodyera
4b. Lip with a long cylindric spur
at base, without any villi inside……………… 5
5a. Lip with 3-lamellae on the disc;
spur long and slender ………..…..... Herpysma
5b. Lip without lamellae or ridges
on the disc; spur short and fat…....... Erythrodes
6a. Flowers non-resupinate ………......….. Hetaeria
6b. Flowers resupinate……..…...…...…...……… 7
7a. Creeping stem succulent, noded
at short intervals; roots very short,
hairy,arranged in a circle or ridge
below the internode ...…………..…………. 8
7b. Creeping stem fleshy, noded at
distant intervals;roots long, produced
solitarily from the node………………..…… 9
8a. Sepals free or connate at
base only …………………..…….. Myrmechis
8b. Sepals connate more than half
of the length to form a tube .….…Cheirostylis
9a. Mesochile of lip with long fringed
or toothed margins ..…….……………….. 10
9b. Mesochile of lip with entire
margins………...………………………….. 11
1. SPIRANTHES L.C. Rich.
[Orch. Eurpo. Annot. 20. 1817. Nom. Cons.]
Terrestrial herbs. Roots tuberous. Leaves narrow,
basal of fugaceous. Flowers small, spirally arranged on
glandular hairy spike, partly opening. Sepals subequal,
free or connate at base; dorsal with petals forming a
hood. Petals narrower. Lip simple or 3-lobed, with 2
calli at base, crisped at apical margins. Column short,
with elongate forked rostellum. Pollinia 2, clavate,
deeply cleft.
The genus consists of about 30 species distributed through out the world except in Africa. In India
two species are reported. From Arunachal Pradesh
only one species is reported so far.
Spiranthes sinesis (Pers.) Ames, Orch. 2 : 53.
1900; Biswas in Ind. For. Rec. 3(1) : 50. 1940. Neottia
sinensis Pers. Syn. Pl. 2 : 511. 1807. Spiranthes australis
(R.Br.) Lindl. : Hk. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 6 : 102. 1890;
Burkill in Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 10 (1) : 380. 1924. S.
lancea sensu A.S. Rao et Deori in Ind. J. For. 3 (3) :
334. 1980; Hegde in Arun. For. News 3 (3) : 3. 1980.
Erect terrestrial herbs growing in open grass
lands in association with Zeuxine spp. at elevations at
ranging from 200 – 3000 m.
Plants 15 – 30 cm tall. Roots 3 cm long, tuberous; narrowly fusiform, sparsely covered with white
hairs. Leaves 3-6 x 0.3-0.7 cm, linear-lanceolate,
acute, subradical, sessile. Scape long, slender, with 1-3
sterile bracts at long intervals. Spike terminal, dense,
spirally twisted, many flowered, puberulous. Flowers
small, secundus, white, variously tinged with purple,
with glandular pubescent green swollen ovaries. Bracts
5 x 2 mm, longer than the ovary, ovate-lanceolate,
2
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
acuminate, glandular pubescent. Sepals 4.0 x 1.5
mm, ovate-oblong, subacute, 3-nerved, sparsely gland
dotted; the dorsal adherent with petals forming a hood
over the column. Petals 3.5 x 1.0 mm, oblong, obtuse,
1-nerved, sparsely gland dotted. Lip 4 x 2 mm, saccate
at the base with 2 calli within, constructed about the
middle, crisped at apical half margins, glandular hairy
on the apical half disc. Column 2 mm long, anther
short, 2-celled; pollinia 2, clavate, attached to an
elliptic viscidium; rostellum erect, forked; stigmatic
surface single, ventral.
(from Arunachal Pradesh) are reported so far.
Chamaegastrodia shikokiana (Makino)
Makino et Maekawa in Bot. Mag. XLIX (585) : 596.
Pl. II. Figs. 4-7. 1935.
Small saprophytic herb growing on humus forest
floor in subtropical evergreen forest at an elevation of
about 6000 feet.
Stem about 8 cm long, pinkish, with 2 tubular
sheaths at distant interval. Underground rhizome
branched. Spike terminal, 4 or 5 flowered. Flowers
about 6 mm long, non-resupinate. Bract ovate-acute,
spreading. Petals about 3 x .5 mm, linear, 1-nerved.
Lip about 4 mm long, orange coloured, T-shaped;
epichile bilobed; lobes squarish, undulate at margin;
mesochile short, oblong; hypochile globular, 2-glanded inside. Column short, with 2 crescent appendages
infront; stigma single, transverse; rostellum simple.
Flowering : February – March.
Occurrence : West kameng district, Tipi (200 m),
A.N. Rao 7726, Hegde 1725; Dirang, A.N.Rao
21740. Towang district : Low village (2800
m), A.N. Rao 16130; Towang (3000m) Hegde
3210 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi). Papumpare
district, Tarajuli, Hegde 3582 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi). L. Subansiri district, Hapoli,
Sastry 44833; Palin-Nyapin, Sastry 45453 (ASSAM). Tirap district, Khonsa (1500 m), A.N.
Rao 13497-13503 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Flowering
: August.
Occurrence : W. Kameng district : Munna camp, A.N.
Rao 26100 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India ( Arunachal Pradesh) and Japan.
Distribution : India ( Widely distributed throughout
the country ) , Burma, Nepal, China, Tibet,
Java, Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo, Thailand,
Philippines, Newzeland, Australia.
3. GOODYERA R.Br.
[In Aiton, Hort. Kew. Ed. 2. 5 : 197. 1813]
Terrestrial. Leaves green or violet green, often
reticulate veined or variegated with white, petioled,
sheathing at base. Flowers small glabrous or hispid.
Petals coherent with dorsal sepal forming a hood over
the column. Lip with saccate hypochile and straight
or recurved epichile; hypochile with or without villii
inside. Stigmatic surface 1, ventral.
2. CHAMAEGASTRODIA Mak. et Maek.
[in Bot. Mag. XLIX (585) : 596. 1935. Evrardia
Gagnep. In Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris ser. 2(4) :
596. 1932 (non Evrardia Adans, 1763)].
Small saprophytic herbs. No roots. Underground rhizome branched, sparsely covered with
hyaline scales. Spike with tubular sheaths. Flowers
non-resupinate. Lip with bilobed epichile, rudimentary flanged mesochile and 2-glanded saccate
hypochile. Column short, erect; rostellum simple or
forked, short or protruding beyond the anther cap;
stigmatic lobes 2, lateral, free or fused along the inner
margins to become one; appendages 2, ventral, erect.
This is a genus of about 40 species distributed
in temperate Eurasia, Tropical Asia to Australia.About
15 species are found in India of which 13 species are
reported so far from Arunachal Pradesh.
Key to the species
1a. Lateral sepals spreading ……....……….….. 2
1b. Lateral sepals not spreading ………....……… 3
2a. Leaves ovate, cordate, few,
clustered at base ……....... …. … G. viridiflora
2b. Leaves elliptic, many, distantly
arranged on stem……………..…..………….4
The genus consists of about 6 species distributed in India, China, Yunnan, Japan, Thailand and
Vietnam. From India only two species viz. C. asraoa
(a new species from Meghalaya) and C. shikokiana
3
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
3a. Plants upto 100 cm tall; leaves
15-25 cm long; floral bract shorter
than the ovary …..…………………G. fumata
3b. Plants upto 60 cm tall; leaves
upto 10 cm long; floral bract
longer than the ovary ...…..…..…G. grandis
4a. Flowers more than 2 cm long;sepals
and petals with long acuminate tips... G. biflora
4b. Flowers less than 1.5 cm long; sepals
and petals with acute tips ....…..…………… 5
5a. Saccate hypochile of lip without
villi inside ……………….………………… 6
5b. Saccate hypochile of lip with many
villi inside…………………………………… 8
6a. Inflorescence curved to horizontal
position …………………….. …..G. recurva
6b. Inflorescence erect ……………….…………. 7
7a. Hypochile of lip glabrous in side,
Concealed by lateral sepals ………. G. repens
7b. Hypochile of lip 2 ridged inside;
projecting beyond the bases of
lateral sepals ……………………….. G. fusca
8a. Sepals without hair out side
(or with very few); epichile
of lip very short, obtuse …….. …….G. procera
8b. Sepals hairy out side; epichile
of lip elongate, oblong, acuminate……..………9
9a. Petals connate at apical margins ……G. vittata
9b. Petals free (coherent only) …………………. 10
10a. Leaves green, undulate at margins,
not reticulated …………….......……G. folisa
10b.Leaves reticulated with white or
pink veins or mottled, not undulate ……... 11
11a. Epichile of lip with 2 prominent
lamellae on disc.……..…. G. schlectandaliana
11b. Epichile of lip without any
lamellae on disc ……………………………..12
12a. Leaves lanceolate, flushed with white
and pink; epichile of lip without
basal lobes ………………………..G. hispida
12b.Leaves ovate, reticulated with
white veins; epichile of lip with 2 short
teeth like side lobes …….…….G. hemsleyana
Bijrd. 415. 1825.
1. Goodyera viridiflora (Bl.) Bl. Coll. Orch. Arch.
Ind. 41. T. 9. 1858; A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij (ed.) Biol.
Cons. Cult. Orch. : 326. 1986; Neottia viridiflora Bl.
Plants upto 100 cm tall. Stem decumbent, with
many leaves throughout. Leaves upto 30 x 10 cm,
obliquely elliptic, acute-acuminate, long petrioled,
Small terrestrial herbs growing on rich humus
soil in subtropical wet evergreen forest at an altitude
of about 2000 m.
Plants decumbent, upto 15 cm tall. Rhizome
creeping, fleshy, ca. 3 mm in econdu, producing
solitary roots at nodes. Leaves upto 5, 2-7 x 1-3 cm,
cordate, acute, with long petioles, clasping the stem
with sheathing bases fleshy, glaucous. Scape 5 cm
long, pubescent, with 2 or 3 lanceolate sterile bracts at
intervals. Spike terminal, 2 or 3 flowered, lax. Flowers
2 cm long, green tinged with pink, glabrous. Bracts
1.5 x 0.5 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, longer than
the ovaries. Sepals 9-12 x 4-5 mm, ovate-lanceolate,
acute, acuminate, 1-nerved, glabrous. Petals 11 x 4
mm, oblanceolate, acute, 2 or 3-nerved. Lip 10 x 7
mm, ovate, acute; hypochile saccate, with many villi
within; epichile oblong, acute deflexed. Column 8 mm
long; anther lanceolate, acuminate, 2-celled. Rostellum forked with long slender parallel arms.
Flowering : April.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Visaki – Tsela,
A.N. Rao 16122 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Subansiri district : Saling, Sastry 42198 (ASSAM).
Distribution: India ( W. Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya, Nagaland), Nepal,
Bhutan,
China, Taiwan, Phillippines, Ryukyu, Malaya,
Sumatra, Java, Celebes, Borneo, New Guinia,
Thailand, Samoa.
2. Goodyera fumata Thw. Enum. Zeyl. Pl. : 314.
1864; Hk. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 6 : 111. 1890; King et Pantl.
In Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8 : 284. Pl. 377.
1898; A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij (ed.) Biol. Cons. Cult.
Orch. : 326. 1986. & in J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.
85 (2) : 459. 1988.
Tall terrestrial herb found growing on humus
covered forest floor near water streams in association
with Herpysma orchid in wet evergreen subtropical
forest at 1100 metre MSL.
4
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
sheathing at base, with branched midvein. Inflorescence terminal spike; peduncle with 2 or 3 sterile bract
at distant intervals. Flowers many, about 1 cm long,
resupinate, horizontal from the axis, hairy on ovary
and perianth. Bracts about 4 mm long, shorter than
the ovary, hairy out side. Dorsal sepal 7 x 4 mm,
ovate-oblong, acute, recurved, adherent with petals,
3-nerved. Lateral sepals 8 x3.5 mm, lanceolate,
acute, reflexed, 3-nerved. Petals 7 x 2 mm, oblongoblanceolate, acute, 1-nerved. Lip 4 mm long but
when epichile spread out 7 mm long and 3 mm at
base; hypochile saccate, with many villi inside; epichile
4 mm long, linear-oblong, coiled back. Column 4 mm
long, elongate, broader at tip; anthe cap 1 x 1 mm;
stigma triangular, ventral; rostellum triangular, forked
at apex. Ovary 5 mm long, densely hairy, ellipsoid.
Flowering
rachis puberulous. Flowers econd, pinkish-white.
Bracts 14 x 5 mm, ovate, acuminate, 3-5 nerved,
longer than the ovary, sparsely gland dotted. Sepals
20 x 4 mm, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 3-5 nerved,
sparsely gland dotted. Petals 20 x 2.5 mm, connate
along with the inner margins of the distal halves,
oblanceolate, 3-nerved, gland dotted, slightly incurved
at the apical margins. Lip 16 x 3 mm, lanceolate, long
acuminate, saccate at base with many villii within.
Column 11 x 1.5 mm; anther cap hinged at the base,
ovate-lanceolate, 2-celled; pollinia 2, ca. 2 mm long,
caudicle ca. 9 mm long, brittle; viscidium ca. 4 mm,
longer than pollinia, linear-elliptic; rostellum long,
slender, forked. Ovary ca. 11 x 1.5 mm, twisted,
puberulous.
Flowering : April – May.
: August.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Selari-Bomdila.
Rolla Rao 53989; Hajra 54875 (ASSAM).
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Sessa, A.N. Rao
(Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India ( Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh), Nepal.
Distribution : India ( W. Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh,
Kerala, Orissa), Sri Lanka, Yunnan, Tonkin,
Taiwan, Thailand, Ryukyus, Phillippines,
Japan.
Note : This largest flowered species of the genus is very
attractive when it is cultivated in large numbers in the
beds. Decayed leaf litter is a good manure.
3. Goodyera grandis King & Pantl. In Ann. Roy.
Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8 : 284. Pl. 379. 1898; Burkill
in Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 10(1) : 380. 1924.
5. Goodyera recurva Lindl. in J. Linn. Soc. 1 :
283. 1857; Hk. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 6 : 112. 1890; Hegde
et A.N. Rao in Ind. Journ. For. 7 : 77. 1984.
This species has been reported from Abor Hills,
the present W. siang district of Arunachal Pradesh by
I. H. Burkill (loc. Cit.).
Small terrestrial herb found growing on moss
covered rocks and on Rhododendron tree trunks in
association with small grass at about 7000 feet MSL
No specimen available for the author in the local
herbaria for study.
Plants 8-15 cm tall. Stem decumbent; prostate
stem with long internodes and solitary roots at nodes;
erect stem leafy. Leaves 3-5 x 0.5-1.0 cm, about 7-9,
lanceolate, acute, petioled. Inflorescence recurved to
horizontal position. Flowers small, secundus. Bract
upto 9 mm long, lanceolate, longer than the flowers.
Dorsal seapl 3 x 1.5 mm, ovate-oblong, acute, cucullate with lateral petals, 3-nerved. Lateral sepals 3.5
x 1.0 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Petals 3 x 1 mm,
oblanceolate, subacute, coherent at tips. Lip 3.5 x 2
mm, ovate, acuminate; hypochile saccate, 5-ridged
inside; epichile oblong, obtuse. Column short, erect,
stigma surrounded by on narrow lamina.
4. Goodyera biflora (Lindl.) Hook. F. Fl. Brit. India
6 : 114. 1890; A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij (ed.) Biol. Cons.
Cult. : 326. 1986. Georchis biflora Lindl. Gen. & Sp.
Orch. 496. 1840. Goodyera macrantha Maxim. In Fl.
Des. Serres. 2(6) : 113. 1867.
Terrestrial herb found growing in moist leaf
litter of subtropical forest at an altitude ranging from
2000 – 3000 m.
Stem upto 10 cm tall. Leaves 1-3 x 0.5-2 cm,
upto 7 in number, ovate, acute, pinkish-green beneath
and deep green above with white reticulate veins, petioled, sheathed at base. Raceme short, 3 to 6 flowered;
Flowering : August.
5
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Cons. Bull. 5 : 33. 1984. Antheria fusca Lindl. Gen.
Sp. Orch. 491. 1840.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Bomdila, A.N.
Rao 4467; Eagle Nest, A.N. Rao (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Kataki et al. (loc.cit) reported this species from
Arunachal Pradesh without exact locality. No specimen available for author’s study in the local Herbaria.
Distribution : Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh. (Endemic to India).
Distribution : India ( Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh ), Nepal, Tibet, Burma.
6. Goodyera repens (L.) R.Br. in Ait. Hort. Kew.
Ed 2. 5 : 198. 1813; Hook f. Fl. Brit. India 6 : 111.
1890; King et Pantl. In Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta
8 : 279. Pl. 370. 1898; Kataki et al. in Pl. Cons. Bull.
5 : 33. 1984; A.N. Rao in SP. Vij (ed.) Biol. Cons.
Cult. Orch. : 326. 1986; Satyrium repens L. Sp. Plant.
Ed. 1, 2 : 945. 1753.
8. Goodyera procera (Ker-Gawl.) Hook. Exot. Fl.
1 : 3. T. 39. 1823; Burkill in Rec. Bot. Surv. India
10(1) : 380. 1924; Biswas in Ind. For. Rec. 3(1) : 51.
1940; R.S. Rao et Joseph in Bull. Bot. Surv. Ind. 7 :
152. 1965; Panigrahi et Joseph, ibid. 8 : 157.1966;
A.S. Rao et Deori in Ind. J. For. 3(4) : 331. 1980;
Hegde in Arunachal For. News 3(3) : 1980; Kataki
et al. in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 33. 1984; Neottia procera
Ker-Gawl. Reg. 8. T. 639. 1822.
Small terrestrial herbs growing on the rich
humus in evergreen forest floor at an elevation of
above 3000 m.
Plants 12 cm tall. Leaves 1-2 x 0.7-1.2 cm,
ovate, acute, close together, sheathed and clasping
the stem at base. Scape 7 cm long, with 2 or 3 linear sterile bracts at short intervals, glabrous. Raceme
short, econd; rachis pubescent. Flowers 1 cm long,
white tinged with pink. Bracts 7 x 2 mm, lanceolate,
acuminate, longer than the ovary, 1-nerved. Sepals
4.0-4.5 x 1.5-2.0 mm, ovate, acute, 1-nerved, lateral
sepals little broader than the dorsal. Petals 4 x 1 mm,
narrowly oblong, slightly broader towards apex, obtuse
to acute, erose, dentate at distal margins, 1-nerved.
Lip 4 x 2 mm, ovate, acute; hypochile large, saccate,
naked within; epichile ovate-oblong, acute, concave,
slightly deflexed. Column 3 mm, short; anther cap
ovate, acute; rostellum forked at tip; pollinia 2, attached to an oblong gland.
Flowering
Erect terrestrial herb growing in sun-exposed moss
covered soils of tropical and subtropical zones.
Stem 25-50 cm tall, robust. Roots long, slender,
often tuberous, fascicled from the base of the stem,
clothed with dense short hairs. Leaves 5-11 x 1.5-4.0
cm, more or less close together on the basal half of
the stem, ovate-elliptic to narrow elliptic, acute to
acuminate; petiole upto 5 cm long, broad, sheathed
and clasping the stem at base. Scape erect, with 4 to
8 linear-lanceolate acuminate sterile bracts at short
intervals. Spike terminal, cylindric, 4-16 cm long,
dense, many flowered. Flowers small, white with green
ovaries. Bracts 11 x3 mm, narrow subulate, longer
than the ovary, papillose hairy at margins, sparsely
gland dotted, 1-nerved. Sepals 4 x 2 mm, subequal,
ovate, acute, concave, sparsely gland dotted, 1-nerved.
Petals 4.0 x 1.5 mm, obovate-oblanceolate, connate
in distal half along with dorsal margins, sparsely gland
dotted, 1-nerved. Lip 3 x 2 mm; hypochile saccate, villous inside; epichile small, triangular, acute, reflexed,
with two oblong calli at the base. Column 2 x 1 mm,
anther ovate, concave; pollinia 2, pyriform, without
caudicle, attached to a small elliptic gland at apex.
: November.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Shangrila-Senge,
A.S. Rao 49611. Subansiri district : Sastry
42139 (ASSAM).
Distribution : India (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Asssam ), Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan,
Europe, N. Asia, N. America, Tibet, Burma,
China, Japan.
Flowering : March – May.
Occurrence : West Siang district : Kopoh – Gelling,
R.S. Rao 17602 (ASSAM). Lohit district : Hawai, A.N. Rao 21434 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi);
7. Goodyera fusca (Lindl.) Hk. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 6
: 112. 1890; King & Pantl. In Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard.
Calcutta 8 : 280. T. 371. 1898; Kataki et al. in Pl.
6
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Methangiliang, Haridasan 2171 (APFH). Tirap
district : Rusa, Panigrahi 17042 (ASSAM) West
Kameng district : Tipi, Rolla Rao 53711; Sessa,
A.S. Rao 56623 (ASSAM); Tipi, Hegde 1724,
5205,5214 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
10. Goodyera foliosa (Lindl.) Benth. ex Clark. In
Journ. Linn. Soc. 25 : 73. 1889; Biswas in Ind. For.
Rec. 3(1) : 51. 1940; Kataki et al. in Pl. Cons. Bull.
5 : 33.1984; Georchis foliosa Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orch.
496. 1840.
Distribution : India (W. Himalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur,
Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, South India), Nepal,
Bhutan, Burma, Ceylon, Laos, Cambodia,
Vietnam, China, Taiwan,Thailand, Japan, Phillippines, Java, Flores Islands.
Terrestrial decumbent herb found growing on
the moist leaf debris of the subtropical forest floor.
Stem upto 20 cm tall. Leaves 1.5-2.5 x 0.5-1.5 cm,
ovate-lanceolate, acute, undulate; petiole upto 1 cm
long, slender, widened at base into a tubular sheath
clasping the stem. Scape slender, with 2 or 3 narrow
subulate sterile bracts at short intervals, pubescent.
Spike 4 cm long, pubescent. Flowers 1.5 cm long, pale
green tinged pink. Bracts 1.2 x 0.4 cm, lanceolate,
acuminate, pubescent, longer than the ovary. Sepals
7 x 4 mm, ovate, acute, connate at base, 3-nerved,
sparsely pubescent externally. Petals 6 x 2.5 mm,
oblanceolate, acute, subfalcate, coherent in distal
half oblong the inner margins, sparsely gland dotted,
1-nerved. Lip 8 x 4 mm; hypochile with sparse villi
within; epichile lanceolate, acute, deflexed, econdus.
Column 4 mm long, erect, winged at basal vertal
margins; anther ovate, acuminate, 2-celled; pollinia
2, attached to a linear-lanceolate viscidium. Rostellum long, forked.
9. Goodyera vittata Benth. ex Hook. f. Fl. Brit. India
6 : 113. 1890 ; A.S. Rao et Deori in Ind. Journ. For.
3(4) : 331. 1980; Kataki et al in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 :
33. 1984.
Decumbent terrestrial herb growing in wet leaf
litter of subtropical forest floors at an elevation of
5000 feet MSL. Stem upto 15 cm tall. Roots short,
thick, solitary, arising from the basal nodes of stem,
clothed with dense short hairs. Leaves 3-5 x 1.5-2.0
cm, ovarte-lanceolate, acute, narrowed at base into a
short petiole and broad clasping sheath. Scape very
short, with two lanceolate, acuminate sterile bracts.
Spike erect, many flowered, rather dense, glabrous.
Flowers 1.0-1.5 cm long. Bracts 11 x 3.5 mm, longer
than the ovary, lanceolate, acuminate, 3-nerved.
Sepals 7 x 3 mm, ovate-oblong, acute, 3-nerved,
laterals subfalcate. Petals 7 x 2.5 mm, oblanceolate,
acute, connate in distal half along the inner margins,
3-nerved. Lip 7 x 3 mm; hypochile saccate, villous
within; epichile lanceolate, concave, deflexed, with
two vertical parallel econdu on the disc. Column 4.5
mm long; anther 3 mm long, lanceolate, curved at
tip; pollinia 2, vertically grooved, with long narrow
pseudo caudicles attaching to a long linear gland at
apex; rostellum 2 mm long, forked.
Flowering : April.
Occurrence : Lower Subansiri district : Saling, Sastry
42199 (ASSAM).
Distribution: India (Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland), Nepal,
Bhutan, China, Burma, Korea, Japan, Rynkyu
Islands, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand.
11. Goodyera schlectandaliana Rchb. f. in Linnaia
22 : 861. 1849; Kataki et al. in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 33.
1984; A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij (ed.) Biol. Cons. Cult.
Orch. : 327. 1986; G. secundiflora auct. Non Griff.
: Hook.f. Fl. Brit. India 6 : 113. 1890; A.S. Rao et
Deori in Ind. Journ. For. 3(4) : 31. 1980.
Flowering : October.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Chaku Camp,
A.N. Rao (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi). Lower
Subansiri district : Rizam-paka-Saling, Sastry
42062, 42189 (ASSAM).
Decumbent terrestrial herb found growing on
moist humus of subtropical forest floors. Rarely this
can be found growing on moss covered trunks. Stem
upto 25 cm tall. Roots solitary from the basal nodes,
covered with dense short hair. Leaves 5-8 x 1.0-2.5
cm, lanceolate, acute, mottled green, narrowed at
Distribution : INDIA : W. Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh (Endemic to India).
7
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
base into a short slender petiole and a broad stemclasping sheath. Scape upto 10 cm long, clothed with
sterile bracts which are leafy towards base and narrow
lanceolate towards up, pubescent. Spike 10 cm long.
Flowers 1.5 cm long, econd. Bracts 16 x 6 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, longer than the ovary, glandular
hairy outside. Sepals 9 x 3 mm, ovate, acute, glandular
outside, 1-nerved. Petals 8 x 2.5 mm, oblanceolate,
acute, 1-nerved. Lip 8 mm long; hypochile broadly
saccate, villous within; epichile oblong, acute, with
two parallel linear lamellae on disc. Column 5 mm
long; anther ovate, acute, hinged at base; pollinia 4
mm long, bright yellow, caudate acuminate at apex
and attached to a long narrow brown disc, bright
yellow.
falcate. Lip 2 x 1 mm, hypochile saccate, with many
villi within; epichile short, ovate-oblong, acute, naked
on disc. Column 1.5 cm long; anther short, ovate,
acute, pollinia 2, clavate, attached to an oblong gland;
rostellum long, forked.
Flowering : September – October.
Occurrence : West kameng district : Senge – Tawang,
A.S. Rao 49616 (ASSAM); Tipi, A.N. Rao 4368,
4305 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India ( Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya), Thailand, Malaya.
13. Goodyera hemsleyana King & Pantl. In J. As.
Soc. Bengal 64(2) : 342. 1896 & in Ann. Roy. Bot.
Gard. Calcutta 8 : 281. T. 373. 1898; Kataki et al. in
Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 33. 1984.
Flowering : November.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Sepla – Dafla,
A.S. Rao 50642; Kalaktang, A.S. Rao 49707
(ASSAM); Bomdila – Dirang, A.N. Rao 17325
(Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Kataki et al (loc.cit.) reported this species from
Arunachal Pradesh without any specific locality. No
specimens are available for study in local herbaria.
Distribution : India ( Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh
?), Endemic.
Distribution: India (West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland), Nepal,
Bhutan, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, China,
Kwangtung, E.Tibet,Korea,Japan, Sumatra.
4. HERPYSMA Lindl.
[ in Edwards’ Bot. Reg. 19 ad. T. 1618. 1833 ].
Note : This species can be an attractive garden plant
for its verigated foliage.
This is monotypic genus widespread from India
to Phillippines.
12. Goodyera hispida Lindl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. 3
: 183. 1857; Hook. F. Fl. Brit. India 6 : 114. 1890;
King et Pantl. In Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8 :
282. Pl. 375. 1898; Burkill in Rec. Bot. Surv. India
10(2) ; 380. 1924; A.S. Rao et Deori in Ind. Journ.
For. 3(4) : 331. 1981; Kataki et al. in Pl. Cons. Bull.
5 : 33. 1984.
Decumbent terrestrial herbs. Leaves many, scattered on the stem, sheathing at base, shortly petioled.
Spike dense flowered. Dorsal sepal coherent with
petals forming a hood over the column. Lateral sepals
spreading. Petals narrower. Lip adnate to the column
in lower half, with 2 parallel lamellae about the middle
on disc and a median lamella towars apex. Spur cleft
at apex, with scattered warts inside.
Erect terrestrial herb found growing on wet humus
of tropical and subtropical zones at elevation from
500 – 5000 feet. Stem 15-25 cm tall, slender, erect.
Leaves 1.5-2.5 x 0.5-1.0 cm, lanceolate, acute, more
or less together, pinkish green with reticulated white
veins, subsessile bracts at short intervals. Spike pubescent, dense flowered. Flowers small, sub-secund.
Bracts 4.5 x 1.5 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, longer
than the ovary, pubescent, 1-nerved. Sepals 2.5 x 1.5
mm, ovate, obtuse-acute, 1-nerved, glandular hairy
outside. Petals 2.5 x 1 mm, oblanceolate, acute, sub-
Herpysma longicaulis Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orch.
506. 1840; R.S. Rao et Joseph in Bull. Bot. Surv. India
7 : 153. 1965; Kataki et al in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 20.
1984; A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij (ed.) Biol. Cons. Cult.
Orch. : 326. 1986.
Terrestrial decumbent herbs growing on the
rich humus in wet evergreen subtropical forests at
elevations ranging from 1100-1800 m. Plants upto
40 cm tall. Rhizome reeping, ca. 4 mm thick, pro-
8
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
reported from Arunachal Pradesh.
ducing solitary roots at nodes. Roots upto 5 cm long,
thick, densely covered with short hairs all over. Stem
erect, with many distichous closely arranged leaves
throughout. Leaves 2-7 x 1-2 cm, ovate-lanceolate,
acute, shortly petioled, clasping the stem with tubular
sheathing bases. Spike 6 cm long, many flowered,
rather dense. Flowers 2 cm long, white with pink
tinge on the perianth tips. Bracts 11 x 3.5 mm, longer
than the ovary, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 5-nerved,
pubescent externally. Dorsal sepal 8 x 3 mm, ovate,
acute, cucullate, sparsely gland dotted, 3-nerved,
pubescent externally. Lateral sepals 9 x 3 mm, ovatelanceolate, acute, sparsely gland dotted, 3-nerved,
pubescent externally. Petals 8 x 3 mm, elliptic-oblong,
acute, 2 or 3 nerved, sparsely gland dotted. Lip 8 x 3
mm; hypochile adnate to the column along margins,
with 2 small parallel conical econdu towards apex on
disc; Spur 1 cm long, slender, tubular, forked at tip,
with globular warts acattered inside. Column 6 mm
long; anther ovate-lanceolate; 2-celled; pollinia 2,
clavate, attached to a column linear-elliptic viscidium
at apex. Rostellum forked; arms prominently winged
at dorsal margins. Stigma 1, ventral.
Flowering
Key to the species
1a. Midlobe of lip ovate-triangular;
spur tip shallowly 2-lobed………..……E.blumei
1b. Midlobe of lip suborbicular;
Spur tip distinctly 2-4 lobed………….. E.hirsuta
1. Erythrodes blumei (Lindl.) Schltr. In Schum, &
Lauterb. Nachtr. 87. 1905; A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij (ed.)
Biol. Cons. Cult. Orch. : 326. 1986; Physurus blumei
Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orch. 504. 1840; Hook f. Fl. Brit.
India, 6 : 94. 1890.
Terrestrial herbs growing on rich humus in subtropical wet evergreen forest at an elevation of about
1000 m. Plants upto 30 cm tall with inflorescence,
erect. Stem fleshy, ca. 4 mm thick. Leaves 9.5 x 3.0
cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, narrowed at base into
a sheathing petiole, 5-7 prominently nerved. Spike
terminal, upto 12 cm long; many flowered, pubescent.
Scape 14 cm long, erect, pubescent, clothed with 3-4
sterile bracts at long intervals. Sterile bracts 1.5-3.0 x
0.3-0.5 cm, membranous; lower ones sheathing, tubular, acute; upper ones lanceolate, acuminate. Floral
bracts 13 x 4 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, larger than
the ovary, 1-nerved, pubescent. Sepals 7-8 x 2.0-2.5
mm, oblong-lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved glandular
pubescent; lateral sepals slightly larger than the dorsal
one. Petals 7 x 1 mm, oblanceolate or spathulate,
subacute connate along the dorsal margin towards
apex, adherent to the dorsal sepal forming a hood,
1-nerved. Lip 6 x 2 mm, oblong-obovate, adnate to
the column in the lower margins; 3-lobed, deflexed at
the midlobe region, 5-7 nerved; lateral lobes auricular,
smaller than the midlobe; ovate, subacute, deflexed
along the margins. Spur 4.0 x 1.5 mm, oblong, swollen towards apex, bilobed at tip, with 5 distinct nerves
which continue with those of the lip. Column 3 mm
long; anther oblong lanceolate, 2-celled; pollinia 2,
united to a common oblong viscidium rostellum 2.5
mm long, bifid, winged at outer margins. Ovary 1.0
x 0.2 cm, glandular, pubescent.
: November.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Sessa, Hegde
8216, A.N. Rao 8216; Dirang, A.N. Rao
16714 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi). Siang district : Takepokong – Sirang, Rolla Rao 17829
(ASSAM).
Distribution : India (W. Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya), Nepal, Yunnan, Vietnam,
Thailand, Sumatra.
5. ERYTHRODES Bl.
[ Bijdr. 410. T. 72. 1825]
Terrestrial. Leaves scattered on the stem, long
petioled, sheathing at base. Spike many flowered,
dense. Sepals subequal; dorsal coherent with petals
forming hood over column; laterals spreading. Petals
narrower. Lip adnate to the column in lower half,
deflexed at apex. Spur inflated, naked within.
Flowering : May.
Occurrence : Subansiri district : Palin – Radang, Sastry
45371 (ASSAM).
This is a genus of about 100 species distributd
in Eastasiatic – Pacific area and America. Three species are found in India of which 2 species has been
9
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Distribution : India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bangladesh,
(Sylhet), Burma, China, Sri Lanka, Vietbam,
Thailand.
– CAL); A.N. Rao 28267 (Paratype – Orchid
Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India (Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh)
Bhutan, Myanmar, Hainan, Thailand,Vietnam
. Endemic
Note : This interesting new record for India extends
its distribution further North into the Himalayan
region. It is quite possible to locate the species in other
districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
7. HETAERIA Bl.
2. Erythrodes hirsuta (Griff.) Ormd. In Seidenf.
Contrib. Orch. Thailand 13:12. 1997. Goodyera hirsuts Griff. Notul. Pl. Asiat. 3:393.1857.
E.seshagiriana Nageswara Rao in Ind. For. 123 (7) :
643. Figs. 1-11, 1997
[ Fl. Javae 1 : Praef. 7. 1828. Orth. Var.]
Terrestrial decumbent herbs. Leaves asymmetric, petioled, sheathing at base. Flowers nonresupinate, partly opening. Dorsal sepal coherent with
petals forming a hood. Lip with saccate hypochile
consisting 2 calli within; epichile econdu, never broadened. Column with 2 wings on the front; rostellum
deeply forked; stigmas 2, lateral.
Decumbent terrestrial herb growing on hunus
covered wet evergreen tropical forest floor in association with other ground orchid species of Hataeria and
Zeuxine at an elevation of about 300 m.
This is a genus of about 20 species distributed
in India, Sri Lanka, extending to Fiji Islands through
Malaya, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea, Thailand and Philippines. Also in Brazil and Africa. About
5 species are reported so far from India of which only
one species is found in Arunachal Pradesh.
Plants upto 40 cm tall with inflorescence.
Stem decumbent, with solitary root from each node
towards base. Leaves 4-10 x 4-1 cm, obliquely ovatelanceolate, acute with long petioles of 2-4 cm long
with sheathing bases, upto 6, at short intervals on the
middle of the stem. Scape upto 20 cm long, glandularpubescent, with 2 or 3 small lanceolate acuminate
sterile bracts at distant intervals. Inflorescence dense,
many flowered. Flowers about 1.5 cm long, brownish purple, glandular pubescent on ovary and sepals.
Bracts about 12 x 2 mm, lanceolate, acuminate,
longer than the ovary, glandular pubescent outside.
Dorsal sepal about 7 x 2.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate,
acute, 3-nerved, slightly spreading. Petals 6 mm long
and 1.5 mm at broadest, spathulate, forming a hood
over column by adhering to dorsal sepal, 1-nerved. Lip
6 x 3 mm, fused with column in basal half at margins,
3-lobed; lateral lobes narrow; midlobe oate, acute,
reflexed; spur upto 4.5 mm long, protruding from the
bases of lateral sepals, deeply bilobed at tip, with 4
oblong calli 2 each on each side wall inside. Column
5 mm long, erect; rostellum deeply forked with long
sublate atms. Anther-cap 3 x 2 mm, 2-celled, with
pointed beak. Pollinia sectile, in 2 groups attached
at tip to a common elliptic disc.
Hetaeria affinis (Griff.) seidenf. et Ormd. In
Oasis, suppl. 2 : 9.2001. Goodyera affinis Griff. Notul.
Pl.Asiat. 3:391.1851. Hetaeria rubens (Lindl.) Benth.
ex Hk.f. Fl. Brit. India 6 : 115, 1890; Burkill in Rec.
Bot. Surv. India 10(1) : 380. 1924; Panigrahi et Joseph
in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 8 : 157. 1966; Kataki et al.
in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 20. 1984; A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij
(ed.) Biol. Cons. Cult. Orch. : 326. 1986.
Terrestrial herbs found growing on rich humus
of wet evergreen tropical-subtropical forest floor at an
elevation of about 200 – 4000 m.
Plants decumbent, upto 25 cm tall (with inflorescence). Creeping stem fleshy, with a single having
root at each node. Erect stem fleshy, with 2 or 3
tubular sheathing bracts at nodes. Leaves 4-10 x 2-4
cm, about 3, ovate or ovate-elliptic, acute, petioled,
tubular and sheathing at base, distinctly 3-nerved. Inflorescence terminal spike, many flowered, with a long
scape. Scape pubescent, with 2 or 3 ovate-lanceolate
sterile bracts at different intervals. Floral bracts 6
x 2 mm, shorter than the ovary, ovate-lanceolate,
acuminate, papillose at margins, sparsely gland dot-
Flowering : March.
Occurrence : Changland district : Motijeel (Namdapha National Park) A.N. Rao 28269 (Holotype
10
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Myrmechis pumila (Hook.f.) Tang & Wang in
Act. Phytotax. Peking 1 (1) : 69. 1951. Odontochilus
pumilus Hook.f. Fl. Brit. India 6 : 99. 1890. Anoectochilus pumilus ‘King et Pantl.’ Auct. : Panigrahi et
Naik in Bull. Bot. Surv. India 3 : 381. 1961.
ted, 1-nerved. Flowers non-resupinate, pale green
tinged with red. Odd sepal 3.5 x 2 mm, ovate, acute,
concave, 2-nerved, glandular hairy externally, sparsely
gland dotted. Lateral sepals 4 x 3 mm, little larger
than the odd sepal, ovate, acute, 1-nerved, glandular
hairy externally, sparsely gland dotted. Petals 3 x 1.5
mm, a little shorter than the sepals, oblanceolate,
hammer shaped, clawed, adherent to the odd sepal
and forming a hood, sparsely gland dotted. Lip 3.5 x
2 mm, ovate, obtuse to acute, concave, divided into
small epichile and a big hypochile by a small subterminal constriction; hypochile saccate, with 2 calli on
the lateral walls otowards base; epichile ovate, acute.
Column 3 mm long with 2 wings on front; anther
ovate, acute, 2-celled. Rostellum forked. Stigmas 2,
sessile, lateral.
Flowering
Tiny terrestrial herbs with decumbent stem
found growing at an elevation of about 6000 feet.
Plant up to 10 cm tall. Leaves 1-2 cm long
with short petiole having sheathing base, ovate, acute.
Spike about 2 cm long, with 2 or 3 flowers at apex and
with one sheathing sterile bract on peduncle. Flowers
about 12 mm long, white. Bract 5 x 2 mm, ovatelanceolate, acute, shorter than the ovary. Sepals and
petals about 3 mm long, subequal; petals narrower.
Lip 4 mm long; hypochile saccate; mesochile narrow,
oblong; epichile 2-lobed, lobes oblong, obtuse, diverging in acute angle. Column very short.
: August - September.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Tipi, Hegde 3979;
Rowta, Hegde 3673 (Orchid Herbarium,Tipi).
West Siang district : Geling – Kapangla, Rolla
Rao 17554 A. Tirap district : Laju,Panigrahi
14780; Nisa, Panigrahi 14850 (ASSAM). Lohit
district : Hawai, A.N. Rao 21406, 21407 (Orchid
Herbarium, Tipi).
Flowering : July.
Occurrence : Lower Subansiri district : Panigrahi
19384 (loc.cit.)
Distribution : India (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh ),
Burma, Yunnan and .
Distribution : India (West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam),Burma,
Thailand.
Note : The above specimen collected by Panigrahi
could not be seen in local herbaria. Above description
is based in the specimen Pantling 162 (CAL) collected
from Tendong in Sikkim.
7. MYRMECHIS Bl.
8. CHEIROSTYLIS Bl.
[ Orch. Arch. Ind. : 76. T. 21. 1858 ].
[ Bijdr. 384. T. 51. 1825]
Small terrestrial herbs. Stem decumbent. Leaves
many, small, alternately scattered on the stem. Spike
terminal, 2-3 flowered. Flowers small, white. Sepals
free or connate at base; laterals larger; dorsal forming
a hood with petals. Lip attached to the column at
base; hypochile saccate with 2 calli; mesochile short or
long, without any flanges; epichile bilobed. Column
short; anther dorsal; pollinia 2 with common viscidium; rostellum short, bifid; stigma 2, lateral, stalked;
columnar processes 2, ventral.
Small decumbent herbs. Prostate stem minoliform, with minute hairy roots ventrally. Erect stem
leafy. Leaves sub radical or scattered on stem. Flowers
few in terminal raceme. Sepals connate in the basal
half to form a ventrioose tube. Petals narrow. Lip
inserted at the base of column, erect; epichile dilated,
bilobed; mesochile indistinct; hypochile saccate, with
one to several pairs of papillae on inside walls of the
sac. Column short, with two arms or stylids projecting from the ventral face; rostellum with two slender
erect arms; Anther dorsal, erect; pollinia 2, attached
to a common viscidium; stigmata 2 lateral at the base
of rostellum.
This is a genus of about 6 species distributed in
tropical Asia and Malaysia. Two species are reported
so far from India of which only one is found in
Arunachal Pradesh.
The genus consists of about 25 species distrib-
11
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
uted in the mainland of S. E. Asia, Eastern Africa,
Japan, Philippines and N. Guinea. In India it is
represented by 7 species of which 5 species are found
in Arunachal Pradesh.
cate, 1-nerved, adherent to the dorsal lobe of sepaline
tube and forming a hood. Lip 5 x 4 mm; hypochile
oblong; concace, with a long vertical median ridge
and 2 lateral ‘T ’ shaped calli towards base; epichile
flabellate, ca. 5 mm across, deeply forked, irregular
at apical margins, with 2 papillose swellings at base.
Column very short, with 2 erect slender stylid, anther
lanceolate, acuminate, pollinia 2, cleft, attached to a
squarish membranous viscidium. Rostellum forked,
with 2 slender erect arms.
Key to the species
1a. Fowers glabrous……………………………. 2
1b. Flowers pubescent….....…………….…….. 3
2a. Bracts shorter than ovary; hypochile
of lip with 2 bifurcated villi inside….…C. pusilla
2b. Bracts longer than ovary; hypochile
of lip with 6 villi inside.……... C. moniliformis
3a. Flowers hirsute; hypochile of lip
with bifurcated villi inside …....... C. sessanica
3b. Flowers covered with glandular hair;
hypochile of lip with 4 or many
villi inside ………………………………….. 4
4a. Petals oblong, truncate; hypochile
of lip with 7 pairs of villi inside..
………...………………..... 4. C.yunnanensis
4b. Petals falcately oblanceolate, acute….......…… 5
5a. Hypochile of lip with 2 pairs of
villi inside……………………… . 5. C.tippica
5b. Hypochile of lip with 3 pairs of
Villi inside …………………….. 6. C.gunnarii
Flowering : September.
Occurrence : Tirap district : Deban, A.N. Rao 73524
(ASSAM).
Distribution : India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bangladesh,
Thailand.
2.Cheirostylis moniliformis (Griff.) Seidenf. in
Dansk Bot. Ark. 32(2) : 69. F. 9. 40. 1978; Shukla &
Deori in J : Econ. Tax. Bot. 8 : 201. 1986. Goodyera
moniliformis Griff. Itin. Not. No. 679. 143.1848.
Cheirostylis chinensis var. glabra Bhaum. Et Path. In
Bull. Bot. Surv. India 47 : 183.2005, syn.nov.
Small lithophytic herb found growing on moss
covered rocks in wet evergreen subtropical forest at
an elevation of about 3000 feet MSL. Plants upto 10
cm long. Prostate stem about 5 cm long, moniliform,
adhering to the rock surface with ting root suckers
present below the earch segment. Erect stem about
5 cm tall including inflorescence, covered with 2 or
3 leaves at small intervals. Leaves 5-13 x 3-9 mm,
ovate, acute, prominently nerved, sheathing at base.
Scape slender, with 3 or 4 sterile sheathing bracts at
short intervals, purplish green, densely covered with
retrorse hair. Flowers 3 or 4, about 9 mm long, close
together at the apex of scape, brownish green with
white lip. Bract 7 x 2 mm, lanceolate, acuminate,
longer than the ovary, purplish brown. Sepaline tube
3 mm long, apical half 3-lobed, free. Petals 3 x 1 mm,
adherent to the dorsal lobe of sepaline tube. Lip about
4.5 mm long, hypochile saccate with 3 pairs of villi;
mesochile short with 2 marginal ridges; epichile about
6 mm wide when spread out, bilobed, flabellate, 5-6
toothed at margin, with 2 green blotches near the base.
Column short, pale green; anther cap red; rostellar
arms white; stigmata 2, lateral, green.
1. Cheirostylis pusilla Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orch. 489.
1840; Hook. F. Fl. Brit. India 6 : 105. 1890; A.N.Rao
in S.P. Vij (ed.) Biol. Cons. Cult. Orchid. 326. 1984.
A tiny lithophytic herb creeping on boulders
with moniliform rhizome in the wet evergreen subtropical forest at an elevation of about 1000 m.
Rhizome 2-5 cm long, moniliform, dorsoventrally flattened, sparsely branching, adhering the rock
surfaces with small round suckers produced below,
dark green. Stem erect, 4-7 cm tall, slender. Leaves
2-5 x 2-3 mm, upto 5, ovate, acute, shortly petioled,
clasping the stem with tubular sheathing bases. Spike
terminal, 2-flowered (often the second abortive).
Flowers 9 mm long, sessile, milky white. Bracts 4-6
x 1-2 mm, as long as the ovary, lanceolate, acuminate,
1-nerved. Sepals connate in the lower half forming
a tube; free lobes 2-4 x 1.0-1.5 mm, ovate, obtuse,
1-nerved, sparsely gland dotted; lateral lobes longer
than the dorsal and lying below the epichile of lip.
Petals 3-4 x 1.0-1.5 mm, oblanceolate, obtuse, fal-
12
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Flowering
Inform. Kew : 201, 1896;A.N.Rao in Arunchal For.
News 19: 122. 2001. Cheirostylis munnacampensis
Nageswara Rao in Nord. J. Bot. 8 : 340. Fig. 2. 1988.
C.pobongensis Lucksom in Ind. J.For. 20(3): 305.1997.
: March.
Occurrence : Lohit district : Menzong – Yasong, A.N.
Rao 21463 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan.
Small terrestrial herb found growing on humus
covered, exposed rocky hill slopes at an elevation of
6000 feet. Plants upto 12 cm long incl. Inflorescence.
Stem prostrate moniliformis, pale green, withmany
small roots restricted to the ventral portion of each
internode, erect shoots 1 cm long, slender. Leaves 2
or 3, 10 x 5 mm, ovate, acute, almost whithered when
plant in flower; petiole slender, clasping the stem with
sheathing base. Spike 11 cm long, hirsute. Flowers
2-4, terminal, 1.5 cm long. Bracts up to 4 mm long,
pubescent, ovate-lanceolate, acute-acuminate, shorter
than the ovary. Sepaline tube 7.0 x 3.5 mm, hirsute,
pale green. Petals 6.5 x 2.0 mm, oblong, truncate at
apex, 1-nerved. Lip 12 mm long, 12 mm broad when
epichile lobes spread out, white with 2 green blotches
at the base of epichile; epichile bilobed, each lobe with
8 irregular fringes at margins; hypochile saccate, with 7
slender terete calli in each half. Column 2.5 mm long;
stylids erect, about two times longer than the rostellar
arms. Anther cap about 1.5 x 0.5 mm, ovate, acute,
stalked. Pollinia 1.5 mm long, yellow, sectile, with
an elongate membranous viscidium at apex. Ovary 8
mm long, shortly stalked, greenm pubescent.
3. Cheirostylis sessanica Nageswara Rao in Nord. J.
Bot. 8 : 339. 1988.
Small terrestrial herb found growing on humus
forest floor in wet evergreen subtropical forest at an
elevation of 3500 feet.
Plants upto 13 cm long incl. Inflorescence. Stem
prostrate, moniliformis, dark brown, with many small
roots restricted to the ventral side of each internode,
erect shoots about 3 cm long. Leaves 4, lamina 15 x 5
mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, greenish brown; petiole
about 5 mm long, clasping the stem with sheathing
base. Spike 10 cm long, hirsute, with 3 small brickred sterile bracts of various intervals. Flowers up to
5, terminal, more or less close together, 1.5 cm long.
Bracts 5 x 2 mm, pubescent, ovate-lanceolate, acuteacuminate, shorter than the stipitate ovary. Sepaline
tube 5 mm long, 3 mm in diam., dorsal lobe a little
shorter and broader than the laterals, pubescent,
brick-red tinged with dark gren, sparsely gland
doted. Petals 4.5 x 2.0 mm, spathulate, 1-nerved,
sparsely gland dotted, white, adherent to the dorsal
lobe of the sepaline tube. Lip 6.0 x 3.5 mm, white,
with 2 green blotches at the base of the epichile; epichile bilobed, flabellate when spread out, each lobe
4-dented at margin; hypochile saccate, with 2 cali in
each half. Column about 2 mm long, pale green at
base; rostellar arms longer than stylids, twisted at tips;
stylids straight, terete, acute, Stigma 2, lateral, yellow. Anther-cap 2.0 x 1.5 mm, ovate, acute, stalked,
pale yellow tinged with pink in upper half. Pollinia
about 2 mm long, sectile, yellow, with an elongate,
membranous viscidium at apex. Ovary about 8 x 3
mm, stalked, pubescent, brick-red.
Flowering
: May.
Occurrence : West Kameng district: Munna Camp,
A.N. Rao 14567-68 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India (Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim),
Bhutan, China, Thailand and Vietnam.
5. Cheirostylis tippica Nageswara Rao in Arunachal
For. News 9 (2) : 17. Fogs. 1-7. 1991.
Small decumbent herb growing in shady soil
mixed with decayed vegetable matter amidst ferns
and small grasses at an elevation of about 600 feet.
Prostrate stem upto 3 cm long, moniliform, fleshy,
dark greenish brown, with sterile sheathing bracts at
the base of each internode and small hair like roots
arranged circularly in the middle portion of the internodes. Erect stem about 3.5 cm long, with about
10 leaves arranged alternately at small intervals with
more or less overlapping sheathing bases. Leaves 0.5-
Flowering : March.
Occurrence : West kameng district : Sessa, A.N. Rao
24016 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh) . Endemic.
4. Cheirostylis yunnanensis Rolfe in Bull. Misc.
13
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
2.0 x 0.3-1.0 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, with slender
petiole, clasping the stem with sheathing bases, greenish brown, slightly dried during the flowering stage of
the plant. Scape about 7 cm long, with 2 lanceolate
sterile bracts at distant interval, densely covered with
retrorse glandular hair, purple. Flowers 3 or 4 at the
tip of the scape, secundous, dark green tinged with
purple, covered with glandular hair. Bract about 5.0
x 2.5 mm, shorter than the ovary, ovate-lanceolate,
acute-acuminate, covered with long glandular hair.
Sepaline tube about 5 mm long, 2 mm in diam., free
lobes about 1.5 mm long, triangular, acute-acuminate.
Petals about 4.5 mm long, slightly shorter than the
sepals, adherent to the dorsal sepaline lobe, falcately
oblanceolate, acute, 1-nerved, white. Lip 7 x 2 mm,
Y-shaped when spread out, white with 2 green blotches
at the base of the epichile; hypochile bisaccate from
below, 3-nerved with a keel to the middle one, with
4-villi two in each sac along the lateral neves; epichile
2-lobed, V-shaped when spread out with a small acute
sinus; lobes about 2.0 x 1.5 mm sub rectangular,
unequally 5-dented at distal margin. Column about
2 mm long, with a pair of elongate slender stylids
and equally long one pair of rostellar arms; anther
cap ovate, acuminate, 2-celled, shortly stalked, pale
yellow tinged with red on the back; pollinia 2, sectile,
yellow, attached to an oblong white viscidium; stigma
2, lateral. Ovary about 8.2 mm, ellipsoid, shortly
pedicelled, covered with glandular hair.
Flowering
about 1 cm long, with green ovary, pale green sepaline
tube and white peatals and lip. Bracts upto 5 X 2 mm,
ovate-lanceolate, acute, as long as or longer than ovary,
erose at upper half margins, 1-nerved, gland dotted
, glandular pubescent externally. Sepaline tube upto
4 mm long, 1.8 mm diam., pale green, glandular pubescent; dorsal lobe 3.0 X 2.5 mm, ovate, subacute;
lateral lobes 1.5 X 1.0 mm, ovate-oblong, subacute.
Petals 4 X 1 mm, 1.5 mm at broadest, oblanceolate,
subfalcate, acute, 1-nerved, gland dotted, adherent
to the dorsal lobe of sepaline tube. Lip 7 mm long,
white; hypochile 3 mm long, oblong, concane, with
3-pairs of villi on side walls inside and a thickened
midnerve in between; epichile 4 X 6 mm, flabellate,
bilobed, thickened at base; lobes 3 X 3 mm, obovate,
erose truncate, with a narrow deep sinus, puberulous.
Column 3 mm long , 1.5 mm broad; rostellar arms 2
mm long, slender, oblong, acute,terete; stylids 1.5 mm
long, shorter but broader than rostellar arms, ovateoblong, acute, flattened. Anther about 1.5 mm long,
ovate, bilocular, pale yellow with orange coloured
beak; pollinia sectile, in 2 groups, yellow; viscidium
slightly longer than rostellar arms, elliptic-lanceolate,
green and non transparent in upper half and transparent white in lower half. Ovary about 5 X 2 mm,
ellipsoid, subsessile, glandular pubescent, green.
Flowering : March
Occurrence : Lohit district, Kamlang reserve forest, 300
m, A.N.Rao 28003 ( Orchid Herbarium Tipi),
28004 (CAL), 28005 (ASSAM).
: January – February.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Tipi, A.N. Rao
25750 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : Endemic.
Dostribution : India (Arunachal Pradesh). Endemic.
9. ANOECTOCHILUS Bl.
6. Cheirostylis gunnarii Nageswara Rao in Nord. J.
Bot. 18:23.1998.
[ Bijdr. 411. T. 15. 1825 ]
Terrestrial herbs with fleshy decumbent stem.
Roots arising solitary from basal nodes. Leaves few,
variously coloured, with reticulate ornamentation or
mottled. Inflorescence few or many flowered, lax.
Dorsal sepal forming a hood with petals. Lip adnate
firmly to the base of column; larger than the sepals
and petals with 2- or rarely 4-lobed epichile, fringed
or entire mesochile and saccate or spurred hypochile;
sac or spur with 2 dent-like or laminar calli within.
Column straight, with ventral appendages; pollinia 2,
Plant epiphytic, upto 12 cm long with inflorescence. Stem moniliform, growing downwards, many
nodded, with minute fibrous roots on ventral side at
the centre of each node, with single leaf at every node,
green. Leaves upto 6 X 6 mm, sessile, cordate, acute,
many, arranged alternately and adpressed to the stem.
Inflorescence upto 3 cm long including 2 cm long peduncle, growing in the sameline with stem, glandular
pubescent, with 2 or 3 sterile bracts. Flowers 3 to 4,
14
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
PLATE -1
Cheirostylis gunnarii
Cheirostylis tippica
Cheirostylis sessanica
Zeuxine lindleyana
15
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
PLATE -2
Anoectochilus roxburghii
Cheirostylis pusilla
Erythrodes blumei
Erythrodes hirsutus
16
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
PLATE -3
Goodyera biflora
Goodyera foliosa
Goodyera hispida
Goodyera procera
17
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
PLATE -4
Goodyera repens
Goodyera viridiflora
Goodyera vittata
Goodyera schlectandaliana
18
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
PLATE -5
Herpysma longicaulis
Hetaeria affinis
Odontochilus tortus
Spiranthes sinensis
19
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
LEGEND TO PLATES 1 - 5
PLATE 1. Cheirostylis gunnarii Nageswara Rao 1. Plant 2. Flower 3. Bract 4. Sepaline tube cut open 5.Petal
6.Lip 7.Column 8.Anther cap 9.Pollinarium – dorsal and ventral view. (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Cheirostylis tippica Nageswara Rao 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Lip 4.Sepaline tube cut open with petals
5. Hypochile from below showing bisaccate nature 6.Column ventral view 7. Column dorsal view.
(Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Cheirostylis sessanica Nageswara Rao 1.Plant 2.Bract 3.Flower 4.Sepaline tube cut open 5.Petal
6.Lip 7&8.Column- ventral and side view 9.Anther cap 10.Pollinarium. (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Zeuxine lindleyana Nageswara Rao 1.Plant 2.Rhizome 3.Flower 4.Bract 5.Dorsal sepal and petals
in situ 6.Dorsal sepal 7.Lateral sepal 8.Petal 9.Lip 10 & 11.Column- ventral and dorsal view 12.Anther cap 13.Pollinarium 14. Lip of Z.strateumatica (L.)Schltr. (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
PLATE 2. Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.)Lindl. 1.Plant 2.Dorsal sepal 3.Lateral sepal 4.Petal 5.Lip 6.L.S.
of spur 7.Column.
Cheirostylis pusilla Lindl. 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Bract 4&5.Sepalinetube lobes with a petal 6.Petals
7.Lip 8.Column 7.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Erythrodes blumei (Lindl.)Schltr. 1.Plant 2.Dorsal sepal 3.Lateral sepal 4.Petal 5.Lip 6.Lip-side view
7.Column 9.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Erythrodes hirsutus (Griff.) Ormd. 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Dorsal sepal 4.Lateral sepal 5.Petal 6&7.
Lip – front and ventral view 8.L.S. of spur 9.Column 10.Alther cap 11.Pollinarium (Drawn by
A.N.Rao)
PLATE 3. Goodyera biflora (Lindl.)Hk.f. 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Bract 4.Dorsal sepal 5.Lateral sepal 6.Petals
7.Lip 8.Column 9.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Goodyera foliosa (Lindl.) Benth. ex Cl. 1.Plant 2.Bract 3.Dorsal sepal 4.Lateral sepal 5.Petals 6.Lip
7.Column 8.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Goodyera hispida Lindl. 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Petal 4.Dorsal sepal 5.Lateral sepal 6.Lip 7.Column
8.Anther cap 9.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Goodyera procera (Ker.-Gawl.) Hook. 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Dorsal sepal 4.Lateral sepal 5.Petals 6.Lip
7.Column 8.Anther cap 9.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
PLATE 4. Goodyera repens (L.) R.Br. 1. Plant 2.Dorsal sepal 3.Lateral sepal 4.Petal 5.Lip
6.Column
with Ovary and Bract 7.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Goodyera viridiflora (Bl.) Bl. 1.Plant 2.Lateral sepal 3.Dorsal sepal 4.Petal 5.Lip 6.Column
(Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Goodyera vittata Benth. ex Hk.f. 1.Plant 2.Dorsal sepal 3.Lateral sepal 4.Petals 5.Lip 6. Column
7.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Goodyera schlectandaliana 1.Plant 2.Dorsal sepal 3.Lateral sepal 4.Petals 5.Lip 6. Column
7.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
PLATE 5. Herpysma longicaulis Lindl. 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Dorsal sepal 4.Lateral sepal 5.Petal 6.Lip 7.
Column 8.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Hetaeria affinis (Griff.) Seidenf. et Ormd. 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Lip 4.Lateral sepal 4.Petal 6.Odd
sepal 7.Column (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Odontochilus tortus King et Pantl. 1. Plant 2.Flower 3. Dorsal sepal and petals insitu 4. Sepals and
Petals 4a.Lip 5.Column 6.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
Spiranthus sinensis (Pers.) Ames 1.Plant 2.Flower 3.Bract 4. Dorsal sepal 5.Petal 6.Lateral sepal
7.Lip 8.Column 9.Anther cap 10.Pollinarium (Drawn by A.N.Rao)
20
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
PLATE -6
Anoectochilus roxburghii - leaves
Anoectochilus roxburghii - inflorescence
Herpysma longicaulis
Goodyera procera
21
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
PLATE -7
Cheirostylis moniliformis
Cheirostylis gunnarii
Odontochilus elwesii
Odontochilus lanceolatus
22
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
PLATE -8
Hetaeria affinis
Spiranthes sinenensis
Zeuxine lindleyana
Zeuxine pulchra
23
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Arunachal Pradesh), and Bhutan.
sectile, clavate, with a common viscidium; rostellum
erect bifid at apex to accommodate viscidium. Stigmata 2, lateral to the base of the rostellum.
2. Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl. Gen. Sp.
Orch. : 499. 1840; Biswas in Ind. For. Rec. 3(1) : 49.
1940; Hegde in Arun. For. News 3 : 2. 1980 (Var.
regalis); Kataki et al. in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 3. 1984.
Chrysopaphus roxburghii Wall. Tent. Fl. Nepal. 37.
Fig. 27. 1826.
This is a genus of about 40 species distributed
in Tropical Asia, Australia and Polynesia. In India it
is represented by 15 species of which 7 are found in
Arunachal Pradesh.
Terrestrial decumbent herbs growing on the
decayed leaf litter of wet evergreen subtropical forests
at an elevation of about 1100 m.
Key to the species
1a. Mesochile of lip with entire or
shortly dented margins……..… A. brevilabris
1b. Mesochile of lip pectinate or
deeply fimbriate at margins.….. A. roxburghii
Plants up to 20 cm tall. Rhizome 4 mm thick,
fleshy, producing solitary roots from nodes at distant
intervals. Leaves 2.5-6.0 x 1.5-3.0 cm, ovate, acute,
with short econdus petioles, clasping the stem with
broad sheathing bases, dark greenish purple reticulated
with yellow veins, velvetly. Scape terminal, erect,
pubescent, pinkish, with 2 or 3 lanceolate, acuminate
sterile bracts at distant intervals. Spike 3-5 flowered,
lax. Flowers 2 cm long, greenish purple with white
lip, pubescent. Bracts longer than the ovaries, laceolate, acuminate, pink. Dorsal sepal 7 x 4 mm, ovate,
subacute, glandular hairy externally, 1-nerved, sparsely
gland dotted, adherent to the petals and farming a
hood above the column. Lateral sepals 9 x 3 mm,
obliquely oblong-lanceolate, subacute, glandular hairy
externally; 1-nerved, sparsely gland dotted . Petals
7 x 2 mm, oblong acute, falcate, 1-nerved, sparsely
gland dotted. Lip 10 mm long; hypochile adnate to
the column at lateral margins; mesochile with a narrow median channel on the disc; epichile bilobed;
lobules oblong, obtuse. Spur conical-elongate, ca.
8 mm long, cleft at apex, with 2 stalked calli on the
lateral walls inside towards the mouth. Column 4
mm long, broad, with narrow vertical wings at front;
anther ovate, acute; pollinia 2, clavate, attached to
a small elliptic viscidium. Rostellum short, acute,
simple. Stigmas 2, lateral.
1. Anoectochilus brevilabris Lindl. Gen. Sp. Orch. :
499. 1840; Kataki et al. in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 3. 1984;
A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij. (ed.) Biol. Cons. Cult. Orch.
325. 1986. A.griffithii Hk.f. Fl. Brit. Ind. 6:96.1890.
A.sikkimensis King et Pantl. In J. As. Soc. Bengal 65
(2) : 124. 1896. A.luteus Lindl. : A.N.Rao in J.Econ.
Tax. Bot. 24(2):262. 2000.
Small, decumbent herbs found growing on
humus forest floor at an elevation of about 6000 feet.
Plants upto 15 cm tall. Laves 2 or 3, ovate,
acute, with petioles of sheathing bases, scattered on
the base of the stem at 0.5 cm intervals. Scape up to
12 cm long, erect, with 2 or 3 lanceolate acuminate
tubular sheaths at long intervals, puberulous. Spike
terminal, 3-5 flowered, lax. Flowers about 1 cm long,
greenish brown with white lip. Bract 5 x 2 mm, ovatelanceolate, acute-acuminate, shorter than the ovary.
Dorsal sepal 4 x 2.5 mm, ovate, acute, hooded with
petals. Lateral sepals 4 x 2 mm, ovate-lanceolate,
acute, spreading. Petals 3.5 x 1.5 mm, oblanceolate,
beaked on the outer margin. Lip about 1 cm long;
epichile bilobed, lobes obliquely obovate; mesochile
short, with short dented margins; spur short, conical.
Flowering : August.
Flowering
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Sessa, Hegde 3882;
Munna Camp, Hegde 1384; Khellong, Hegde
3147; Dirang, A.N. Rao 16020. Tirap district :
Khonsa, A.N. Rao 16029 (Orchid Herbarium,
Tipi.).
: October.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Sessa, A.N.
Rao 77241 (ASSAM); Tipi, A.N. Rao (Orchid
Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India (all N.E.states except Tripura),
Bhutan, Thailand, China, Laos, Vietnam.
Distribution : India (West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam,
24
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
10. ODONTOCHILUS Bl.
tropical forest floor at at elevation of 1100 m.
[Coll. Des Orch. Remarq. Archip. Ind. Jap.1858]
Plants up to 22 cm tall. Leaves 3-5 x 1-2 cm,
ovate-oblong or lanceolate-elliptic, acute, green with
3 white median nerves, petiole with sheathing bases.
Scape erect, pubescent. Raceme terminal, 5-10 flowered, lax. Flowers about 2 cm long, with green sepal,
petals and bright yellow lip. Dorsal sepal 3.5 x 2
mm, ovate-oblong, acute, aherect with petals to form
a hood over the column. Petals about 4.4 x 2 mm,
obovate-oblanceolate, subacute, coherent at tips. Lip
about 10 mm long; hypochile saccate, didymons with
2 villi inside; mesochile 5-8 unequal fimbriate; apichile bilobed, lobes subrectangular, wavy at margins.
Column short. Ovary about 1 cm long, pubescent.
The genus consists of about 29 species distributed in Asia, Malaysia, Polynesia and adjacent islands.
In India, there are about 5 species and all of them are
found in Arunachal Pradesh.
Key to the species
1a. Mesochile of lip with entire or
shortly dented margins……..….… A. crispus
1b. Mesochile of lip pectinate or
deeply fimbriate at margins………………… 2
2a. Ovary glabrous…….……..………………… 3
2b. Ovary pubescent….……..………………… 4
3a. Epichile lobes of lip yellow;
spur globose, didymous,
septate inside…………………. A. lanceolatus
3b. Epichile lobes of lip white;
spur oblong, not bifid, without
septum inside ……………….. A. grandiflorus
4a. Petals deltoid. Spur septate;
stigmas 2, confluent ………………. A. elwesii
4b. Petals oblong. Spur not septate;
stigma 1, ventral ..………………… A. tortus
Flowering : August.
Occurrence : West Kameng District : Sessa, A.N. Rao
4462 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : Iindia (West Bengal, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya ), Thailand, Vietnam.
3. Odontochilus grandiflorus (Lindl.) Hk.f. Fl. Brit.
Ind. 6: 100, 1890. Anoectochilus grandiflorus Lindl. in
J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 1 : 179. 1857; Kataki et al.
in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 3. 1984; Hegde et A.N. Rao in
Ind. J. For. 10 : 191. 1987.
1. Odontochilus crispus (Lindl.) Hk. f. fl. Brit. Ind.
6 : 99. 1890. Anoectochilus crispus Lindl. in J. Linn.
Soc. 1 : 180. 1857; King et Pantl. In Ann. Roy. Bot.
Gard. Calcutta 8 : 297. Pl. 395. 1898; Kataki et al.
in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 3. 1984.
Decumbent herb found growing in association
with Chrysoglossum Sp. On rich humus forest floor in
subtropical forest at an elevation of 1100 m.
Plants about 30 cm long. Roots hairy, arising
solitary from prostate stem nodes. Leaves 4-6, 3-6
x 2-3 cm, ovate-oblong, acute, long petioled with
sheathing bases. Scape erect, pubescent, many flowered, lax. Flowers 1.5-2.0 cm long, greenish brown
sepals with white nerves and white lip. Bracts lanceolate, acuminate, shorter than the ovary. Dorsal
sepal 3.5 x 2 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute-acuminate,
forming hood with petals. Lateral sepals 7 x 2.5 mm,
oblong-lanceolate, acute, bases covering the saccate
hypochile oflip. Petals 4 x 1 mm, falcately lanceolate,
acuminate. Lip 8 mm long, hypochile globular, with
curved brownish villi inside; mesochile with 5 pairs
of pale yellow fimbriate; epichile 6 mm broad when
spread-out, 2-lobed, lobes subquadrate, with undulate
margins, gland dotted. Column short; anther cap
Kataki et al. (loc.cit.) reported this species from
Arunachal Pradesh without any exact locality. No collections are available in local herbaria for the study.
Distribution : India (W. Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh , Meghalaya, Nagaland ),
Burma.
2. Odontochilus lanceolotus (Lindl.) Bl. : Hk. f.
Fl. Brit. Ind. 6 : 101. 1890. Anoectochilus lanceolatus
Lindl. Gen. Sp. Orch. : 499. 1840; King et Pantl. In
Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8 : 295. Pl. 392. 1898;
Kataki et al in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 3. 1984. Hegde et
A.N. Rao in Ind. J. For. 7 : 76. 1984.
Decumbent terrestrial herb found growing on
decayed wood and humus in wet wet evergreen sub-
25
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
ovate, red; rostellum forked at apex, white; stigma
ventral; ventral proceses 2, purple oblong. Ovary
curved, purplish green.
Terrestrial decumbent herbs, growing on thick
humus forest floor in tropical zone at an elevation of
about 250 m.
Flowering : July.
Plants 30 cm high with inflorescence (King et
Pantl. Describe the plants up to 18 cm only). Prostrate
stem 4 mm thick, nodes, with a single, long slender
hairy root from each node. Leaves about six, varying
in size, 4.5-7-5 x 2.5-4.0 mm, ovate, acute, distinctly
3 – to 5 nerved (King et Pantl. And Seidenf. describe as
3 – distinct nerved); petiole 0.8-2.5 mm long, loosely
sheathing at base, secundus. Inflorescence a terminal
spike with a short scape having 1 or 2 reduced sterile
bracts and a large foliar bract, ca. 9 cm, long, upto
twelve lax flowered (King et Pantl. Describe as only 4
cm long and 3 – to 6 flowered); axis sparsely shortly
hairy. Floral bracts 10.0 x 4.5 mm, ovate, acuminate,
shorter than the ovary, sparsely hairy without and at
margins, 1-nerved, sparsely gland dotted. Ovary 12.0
x 1.5 mm, sessile, sparsely hairy. Dorsal sepal 7 x 3
mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, concave, sparsely hairy
without. Lateral sepals 9 x 3 mm, oblong, obtuse,
ensheathing the sac of the lip at base, sparsely hairy
without. Petals 7.0 x 2.5 mm, subfalcately rhomboid,
acute, erect, adherent to the dorsal sepal forming a
hood over the column. Lip 17 x 12 mm, much longer
than the other perianth parts, exerted, porrect, subglobose saccate at the base; epichile 2-einged; wings
ca. 7 x 5 mm, divergent, longer than the mesochile
pectines, subquadrate, truncate and irregularly crenate
at apical margins inner margins run down to the base
of the mesochile as two erect lamellaeleaving a channel in between; mesochile ca. 7 x 2 mm, pectinate,
with 6 or 7 pairs of unequal pectines (King et Pantl.
Mention “ the claw with nine unequal teeth on each
margin” ).Spur 2.5 mm in econdu, subglobose, with
two subequally trilobed calli within, one on each side
of the lateral walls. Column 5 mm long, with large
terminal anther and a solitary stigma with two short
subterminal upturned stigmatic processes below the
stigma; rostellum forked at apex, wingd towards base;
pollinia 2, sectile, united at the psedo caudicular
region ending in a narrow ovate disc.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Sessa, A.N. Rao
9256 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India (Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal
Pradesh). Endemic.
4. Odontochilus elwesii Clarke ex Hk. f. Fl. Brit. Ind.
6 : 100. 1890. Anoectochilus elwesii (Clarke ex Hk. f.)
King et Pantl. In Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8 :
296. Pl. 1898. Hegde et A.N. Rao in J. Econ. Tax.
Bot. 4 : 384. 1983.
Small herb found growing on humus forest
floor in sub tropical ever green forest at an elevation
of 1100 m.
Plants up to 20 cm tall. Leaves 3 or 4, 3-6 x 1.52.5 cm, brown, ovate, acute, petioled with sheathing
bases. Scape pubescent, with 2 sterile bracts. Flowers 2
or 3, 3 cm long, pubescent, with greenish brown sepals
and white lip. Bract 12 x 5 mm, ovate-lanceolate,
acuminate, pubescent, shorter than the ovary. Dorsal
sepal 7 x 3 mm, ovate, acute, hooded, pubescent.
Lateral sepals 10 x 3 mm, oblong, acute, pubescent.
Petals 7 x 2.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate. Lip
23 mm long; hypochile globular, didymous, with 2
calli inside; mesochile with 4 pairs of short fimbriate
and short dents on the flanges; epichile 2-lobed, white,
lobes squirish, undulate. Column short.
Flowering : July.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Sessa, Hegde
4293, 4363 (orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India (West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya), Bhutan, Burma,
Thailand, Vietnam.
5. Odonotochilus tortus King et Pantl. In Journ. As.
Soc. Bengal. 65 : 125. 1896.
Anoectochilus tortus (King et Pantl.) King et
Pantl. In Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8 : 298. Pl.
396. 1898; A.N. Rao in S.P. Vij (ed.) Biol. Cons. Cult.
Orch. 325, 1986.
Flowering : August.
Occurrence : Tirap district : Nisa to Niusa, G. Panigrahi 14850 (ASSAM).
26
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Distribution :
Bhutan.
India (Arunachal Pradesh ),
lobes transversely rectangular with undulate, incurved
margins. Column 4 X 3 mm, with 2 vertical wings
on ventral surface which are united at lower ends to
form a ledge; anther cap about 2.5 mm long, ovate,
cordate at base : pollinia in 2 groups, sectile, attached
to a small disc; rostellum small, triangular, forked;
stigma 2, circular, rugose, on upper lateral margins
of column. Ovary 12 X 3 mm, twisted, with a long
beak, pubescent.
11. RHOMBODA Lindl.
[ in J.Linn. Soc. Bot.1:181,1857 ]
Decumbent herbs. Leaves green suffused with
red or bronze. Raceme few to many flowered. Flowers
resupinate or non-resupinate. Lateral sepals spreading.
Dorsal sepal and petals forming a hood. Lip 3 or 4
lobed, with large hypochile, partially connate with
column margins at base, with 2 elliptic sessile appendages and medial bicarinate callus inside hypochile
and 2 flanges on exterior surface; mesochile absent
or very short; epichile entire or 2-lobed. Column
clavate, winged. Rostellum slender. Stigma 2. Pollinia 2, sectile.
Flowering : Nov. – Dec.
Occurrence : India, Arunachal Pradesh, Kimi, A.N.Rao
29426 (Orchid Herbarium,Tipi).
Distribution : India (Arunachal Pradesh), endemic.
2. Rhomboda lanceolata (Lindl.) Ormd. In Orchadian 11(7):329.1995. Dossinia lanceolata Lindl. In J.
Proc. Linn. Soc. Bot. 1:186.1857. Zeuxine abbreviata
sensu Hk. F. Fl. Brit. India 6 : 109. 1890, non (Lindl.)
Hk.f.
The genus comprises of about 25 species distributed from Nepal , Bhutan, N.E.India China,
Burma, Thailand, SE.Asia to N.E.Australia. 3 species
are found in India and two in Arunachal Pradesh.
Decumbent terrestrial herb found growing on
wet evergreen subtropical forest floor covered with rich
humus at an elevation of about 3500 feet.
Key to the species
1a. Hypochile with 2 diamond shaped
calli………………………. R. arunachalensis
1b. Hypochile with 3 forked calli…..…R.lanceolata
Plant about 25 cm tall. Leaves upto 5, about
3.5 x 1.0 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, with short
petiole and sheathing base. Scape erect, about 20 cm
long, with 3 tubular sterile bracts at distant intervals,
pubescent. Spike many flowered, lax. Flowers, 1 cm
long. Bracts 7 x 2 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, longer
than the ovary. Sepals and petals about 4 mm long,
subequal, lateral sepals spreading; petals oblanceolate,
obtuse, 1-nerved. Lip about 3 mm long; hypochile
2 mm long, with 2 forked calli on lateral walls inside
and 1 median lamella; epichile curved back.
1. Rhomboda arunachalensis A.N.Rao in J.Econ.
Tax. Bot. 22(2):426,1998.
Stem decumbent, fleshy, 4 mm thick, green
tinged brown. Leaves 2.5 – 6.5 X 1.3 – 3.0 cm,
ovate-elliptic, acute, sheathing at base. Raceme about
8 cm lone, shortly pubescent, lax, 7-8 flowered.
Flowers about 1 cm long, resupinate, pubescent on
bract and ovary; sparsely pubescent on sepala outside.
Bract about 10 X 5 mm, ovate, acuminate, 1-nerved,
sparsely gland dotted. Sepals about 7 X 4 mm, ovatelanceolate, acute; dorsal with petals forming a hood;
laterals spreading. Petals 7 X 4 mm, ovate-oblong,
acute, subfalcate. Lip 8 X 5 mm ; hypochile 4 X 6
when spread out, saccate, transversely oblong and
obtuse at margins, with 2 diamond shaped flat calli
at base and one median oblong slightly curved callus
towards apex, with a narrow vertical flange on each
side of external surface; mesochile 1 mm long, narrow
with incuved margins ; epichile 2-lobed, 3 X 5 mm;
Flowering : October.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Sessa, Hegde
3882 (Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India : West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya), Nepal, Bhutan.
12. ZEUXINE Lindl.
[ coll. Bot. Append. (n.18) 1826 (?1825) (Zeuxine);
corr. J. Roeper in Linnaea 2 : 528. 1827 (orth. &
nom. Cons.) ]
27
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
Small terrestrial herbs with decumbent stem. Leaves
many, scattered on stem. Raceme lax or dense flowered. Flowers small. Sepals free, subequal; dorsal
forming a hood with narrow petals. Lip attached to
the base of the column; epichile entire or bilobed;
mesochile very short without flanges; hypochile
saccate, with simple or forked villi inside. Column
short; rostellum deeply bifid; stigma 2, lateral; ventral
appendages indistinct or prominent.
distantly or shortly econd, with hyaline bracts at
nodes and a solitary root covered with hair. Stem
pink, with 2 or 3 pink bracts towards base. Leaves
1.5 x 5.0 – 5 x 0.4 cm, linear, acuminate, sessile,
sheathing at base, with prominent midvein, green
turning to reddish brown. Spike 1-4 cm long, 3-20
flowered, dense. Flowers about 1 cm long, facing all
sides of the spike, partly opening. Bracts 6-20 x 2-5
mm, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, longer than the
ovary, 1-3 nerved, pale green tinged pink, hyaline at
margin. Dorsal sepal 4-6 x 2-3 mm, ovate, subacute,
3-veined, forming hood with the petals, saccate at
base, pale green towards base and white flushed with
pink in distal half. Lateral sepals 3-4.5 x 1-2 mm,
ovate-lanceolate, acute, 1-veined. Petals 4-5 x 1-1.5
mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, subundulate at distal half margins, concave, white with green
tinge at base and pinkish towards apex. Column 2
mm long, brownish red on ventral surface. Anther
cap orange yellow.
The genus consists of about 50 species distributed in
Africa and Asia. About 16 species are reported so far
from India of which 7 are found in Arunachal Pradesh.
Key to the species
1a. Leaves long, linear, grass-like………………… 2
1b. Leaves short and broad, not grass-like..…….. 3
2a. Epichile of lip simple ; hypochile
without any calli inside.………. .. Z. lindleana
2b. Epichile of lip bilobed ; hypochile
with 2 calli inside.………… Z. strateumatica
3a. Epichile of lip broadened into
indistinct lobes……………….. Z. goodyeroides
3b. Epichile of lip broadened into
two distinct lobes……….…………………… 4
4a. Leaves thick, blacish purple ……….. Z.pulchra
4b. Leaves thin, green …...…………..………….. 5
5a. Lobes of epichile quadrate or rectangular
with a low sinus inbetween….….………..…. 6
5b. Lobes of epichile obovate with long narrow
bases and deep ‘V’ shaped sinus in between..
..……………………………… Z. longilabris
6a. Lip epichile bright yellow …….……… Z. flava
6b. Lip epichile white…………………………7
7a. Epichile lobules broader at base;
villi inside hypochile simple……. Z.clandestina
7b. Epichile lobules narrower at base;
villi inside hypochile forked….......…Z. affinis
Flowering : January - February
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Tipi, A.N. Rao
6496 A-B, 6500 (Orchid Herbarium,Tipi), A.N.
Rao 6145 (ASSAM); Tenga Valley, A.N. Rao
18598 (Orchid
Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India (Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa),
Endemic.
2. Zeuxine strateumatica (L.) Schltr. In Engl. Bot.
Jahrb. 45 : 394. 1911; Kataki et al. in Plant. Cons.
Bull. 5 : 34. 1984. Orchis strateumatica L. Sp. Pl. 943.
1753. Zeuxine sulcata (Roxb.) Lindl. : Biswas in Ind.
For. Rec. 3(1) : 51. 1940.
Small erect annual herb found growing in lawns
among small grasss at an elevation of about 600 feet.
In vegetative characters it is less similar to above
species Z. lindleyana. However, flowers smaller,
white. Lip hypochile saccate with 2 villi on inside
walls; epichile broadened at apex into 2 distant lobes.
1. Zeuxine lindleyana Negeswara Rao in Arunachal
For. News 6 (1) : 34. 1988; Sarat Misra in J. Orch.
Soc. India 3(1-2) : 70. 1989.
Small erect herb found in lawns amidist short
grasses and Ophioglossum species at an altitude ranging from 600-2500 feet.
Flowering : January.
Occurrence : Kameng district : Aka Hills, N.L. Bor.
16610 (ASSAM).
Plants 3-12 cm long. Under ground rhizome
vertical or sub-horizontal, very long and unbranched,
28
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
cultivation at Sessa ).
Distribution : India (Wide spread throughout the country in W. Himalaya, E. Himalaya
and South India), from Afganistan to Japan and
South to New Guinea.
Distribution : India ( Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal
Pradesh ), Endemic.
5. Zeuxine longilabris (Lindl.) Benth. ex Hk. f. Fl.
Brit. India 6 : 107. 1890; Kataki et al. in Plant Cons.
Bull. 5 : 34. 1984; Hegde et Rao in Ind. J. For. 10(3)
: 197. 1987. Monochilus longilabris Lindl. Gen. Sp.
Orch. 487. 1840.
3. Zeuxine goodyeroides Lindl.. Gen. Sp. Orch. 486.
1840; Burkil in Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 10 (1) : 380.
1924; Hegde et Rao in Ind. Journ. For. 7 : 79. 1984.
Decumbent herb found growing on thick humus in wet evergreen subtropical forest at elevation
of 1100 metre.
Decumbent terrestrial herb found growing on
humus covered forest floor in mixed deciduous tropical forest at an elevation of 200 m.
Plants upto 15 cm tall. Leaves about 4, 2.5-4.0
x 1-2 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, with short petiole
and sheathing base, green with white band along the
midvein. Scape about 10 cm long, pubescent, with
2 or 3 small infundibular sterile bracts at distant intervals. Spike upto 10 flowered. Flowers about 1 cm
long, white with purple tinge. Bract about 4 mm long,
ovate-lanceolate, acute, shorter than the ovary. Sepals
about 4 x 1.5 mm, subequal, lanceolate, subacute;
dorsal forming hood with petals; laterals spreading.
Petals about 4 x 1 mm, falcately oblanceolate, acute,
1-nerved. Lip 3-3.5 mm long, shorter than the sepals;
hypochile with 3 lamellae; epichile subuniform, lateral
margins infolded. Column short.
Plants up to 25 cm tall with inflorescence.
Leaves up to 5, lanceolate, acute, turning in to copper brown while flowering. Scape up to 5, lanceolate,
acute, turning into copper brown while flowering.
Scape about 8 cm long, slender, pubescent, with 2 or
3 tubular sheathing bracts at distant intervals. Spike
erect, lax flowered, pubescent. Flowers about 2 cm
long, pubescent. Bract as long as the ovary, pubescent. Dorsal sepal 7 x 2 mm, ovate-lanceolate , acute.
Lateral sepals 5.5 x 2 mm, spreading. Petals 7 x 1.5
mm, oblong. Lip about 9 mm long; hypochile with
2 curved villi; epichile with 2 long clawed lober with
deep narrow sinus inbetween. Column about 2 mm
long, with indistant swellings on ventral side.
Flowering : October.
Flowering : March.
Occurrence : West kameng district : Sessa, A.N. Rao
4752 (Orchid Herbarium Tipi).
Occurrence : East Kameng district : Dibru, Haridasan
13676(Orchid Herbarium, Tipi).
Distribution : India ( West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya ) , Bhutan.
Distribution : India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala), Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia.
4. Zeuxine pulchra King et Pantl. In J. Asiat. Soc.
Bengal 65(2):127. & in Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta
8:286,Pl.380.1898.
6. Zeuxine flava (Lindl.) Hook. F. Fl. Brit. Ind. 6 :
108. 1890; Biswas in Ind. For. Rec. 3(1) : 52. 1940;
Kataki et al in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5 : 34. 1984. Monochilus
flavum Lindl. Gen. Sp. Orch. 487. 1840.
Small terrestrial herb growing on rich humus in
wet evergreen subtropical forest at 1200 m altitude.
Plants upto 10 cm tall. Stem decumbent, with
a solitary root at each node towards base. Leaves upto
4, fleshy, thich, 3.0 X 2.5 cm, Ovate, acute, blackish
purple with white midvein. Raceme rachis brownish
purple, pubescent, 3-4 flowered. Flowers small, white
to pale brown.
Small terrestrial herb found growing on humus
forest floor of mixed tropical forest at an elevation of
about 200 metre.
Plants upto 30 cm tall with decumbent stem.
Leaves up to 6, withered while plant in flowering,
1-2.5 x 0.5-1.0 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, with
Flowering : July – Aug.
Occurrence : W.Kameng district, Sessa (plants under
29
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
dense. Flowers up to 8 mm long. Bract about 8 x 1
mm, as long as the ovary. Sepals and petals subequal,
3 mm long; petals slightly narrower, oblong-oblanceolate, 1-nerved. Lip 3 mm long; hypochile saccate with
2 recurved villi; epichile 2-lobed, lobules quadrate, 1 x
1 mm, white, wavy at margins. Column short, 2 mm
long, with 2 indistinct thickenings on ventral surface.
short petiole and sheathing base. Scape pubescent,
with 2 sterile pubescent bracts at distant interval.
Spike 10-15 flowered, secundus, lax. Flowers about 1
cm long. Sepals about 3 x 1.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate,
subacute, adherent with dorsal sepals, pale gren or
white. Lip about 4 mm long; hypochile orange coloured with 2 villi inside; epichile 2-lobed, lobes 2 x
1.5 mm, oblong, obtuse, white, forming obtuse angle
when spreaded. Column short, with 2 pale brown
thickenings on front face; rostellar arms white.
Flowering : April.
Ocurrence : Papumpare district : Chessa, Haridasan
573 (APFH).
Flowering : February.
Distribution : India ( West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, Meghalaya, Orissa), Bhutan, Burma,
Bangladesh, Malaya, Thailand, Laos.
Occurrence : West Kameng district : Tipi, S.N. Hegde
7630, A.N. Rao 7630-A (Orchid Herbarium,
Tipi).
CONCLUSION
Distribution : India ( Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim?,
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland), Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand.
The subfamily Spiranthoideae Dressl. is represented by 43 species of 12 genera in Arunachal
Pradesh. Among the 12 genera, Goodyera is the largest with 13 species followed by Zeuxine (8 spp.),
Cheirostylis (6 spp.) and Odontochilus (5spp.). 3
genera viz. Anoectochilus, Erythrodes and Rhomboda
are represented by 2 species each while the remaining
5 genera viz. Chamaegastrodia, Herpysma, Hetaeria,
Myrmechis and Spiranthes are represented by 1 species
each in the state.
7. Z.clandestina Bl. Coll. Orch. Arch. Ind. 70,T.39,
f.4. 1858; A.N.Rao, Ind. For. 122 (12) : 1172,1996.
Stem erect, upto 25 cm tall. Leaves about 3.5 X 1.5
cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Scape erect, pubescent,
few flowered. Flowers with green sepals and white
lip, with white indumentum on sepals and ovary.Lip
epichile with squarish lobes; hypochile with 2 teeth
like villi inside.
From the literature consultation it is evident
that, so far, 7 new species viz. Cheirostylis gunnarii
Nageswara Rao, C.munnacampensis Nageswara Rao,
C.sessanica Nageswara Rao, C.tippica Nageswara Rao,
Erythrodes seshagiriana Nageswara Rao, Rhamboda
arunachalensis Nageswara Rao and Zeuxine lindleyana
( Nageswara Rao 1988a, 1988b, 1991a,1997b, 1997d,
1998) have been reported under Spiranthoideae from
Arunachal Pradesh. However, among them two species viz. Cheirostylis munnacampensis and Erythrodes
seshagiriana are reduced to synonyms of Cheirostylis
yunnanensis and Erythrodes hirsutus respectively. Two
species viz. Chamaegastrodia shikokiana and Cheirostylis yunnanensis are new additions to Indian flora from
Arunchal Pradesh (Nageswara Rao, 1995c, 2002 ).
Flowering : March.
Occurrence : Changlang district, Namdapha national
park, Moti jheel (300 m), A.N.Rao 28265, 28337
(Orchid Herbarium Tipi).
Distribution : India ( Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh),
Thailand, Malaya and Java.
8. Zeuxine affinis (Lindl.) Benth. ex Hk. f. Fl. Brit.
Ind. 6 : 108. 1890; Kataki et al in Pl. Cons. Bull. 5
: 34. 1984. Monochilus affinis Lindl. Gen. Sp. Orch.
487. 1840 (P.P.).
Small herb found growing on humus in the
mixed deciduous tropical forest at an elevation of
about 150 metre.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Plants about 20 cm tall. Leaves turning brown
while plant in flower, 2-3 x 0.5-1.0 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Scape erect, pubescent, with 2 or 3 sterile
bracts at short intervals. Spike about 10 floweredm
Sincere thanks are due to Shri B.S.Sajwan,IFS,
PCCF & Principal Secretary, Dept. of Environment
and Forests; Dr. Pradeep Chaudhry, IFS, Director,
30
SPIRANTHOIDEAE DRESSLER IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
SFRI, Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh for encouragement
and facilities.
new species of orchid from Arunachal Pradesh.
Orchid Rev. 93 : 171-172.
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