Indian scientists have located six new
orchid species in Manipur, one of which is unique and has no chlorophyll.
Staff from the Orchid Research
and Development, Hengbung, Senapati located the species, as part of its conservation
work on orchid species found in the hills of Manipur.
Of the total 286 reported
species of orchids grown in Manipur, 26 species were found last year by a
research team of the Centre for Orchid Gene Conservation of the Eastern
Himalayan Region, which conducted a survey in the forests there.
Among the highly threatened
species of orchids specified in Schedule-VI of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972, three species namely, Blue vanda (Vanda Coerulea) (Kwaklei), Red vanda
(Renanthera imschootiana) (Kwaklei Angangba) and Lady’s slipper (Paphiopedilum
spp.) (Khongup Lei) are at present preserved at the Centre, a source from the
centre said.
There are also three other
orchid species endemic to Manipur, namely– Ascocentrum ampullaceum
var.auruanticum (Nachom Lei), Schoenorchis manipurensis and Kalimpongia
narjitii.
The Northeastern region of the
country was estimated to have about 600 species of orchids. As per Biological
Survery of India (BSI), Manipur alone have about 450 species.By Pamela Kelt
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| Loktak Lake, the only freshwater lake in Manipur |
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Renanthera_imschootiana_01.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vanda_coerulea_1.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paphiopedilum_spp.jpg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paphiopedilum_spp.jpg
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