Rare orchid species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh!

Itanagar: Scientists have discovered a rare leafless orchid species in the Keyi Valley region of Arunachal Pradesh. Named Gastrodia keyiensis, the orchid is locally known in the Nyishi language as “Oram Opuh,” meaning “Ghost Flower.”

Unique features of the plant:

The plant was discovered along the banks of the Keyi River in Keyi Panyor district, at an elevation of around 1,000 metres above sea level.

The orchid has neither leaves nor chlorophyll, which is essential for photosynthesis. Instead of producing food using sunlight, it obtains nutrients with the help of fungi present in the soil.

The plant grows among bamboo groves and thick layers of decaying leaves and can reach a height of around 35 cm. Its flowers are white and pale blue, with an attractive curved yellow structure.

Since the plant remains hidden underground for most of its life and flowers only for a very short period, spotting and identifying it is extremely difficult.

Researchers from the G.B. Pant Himalayan Environment Institute, Sikkim University, Kaliabor College and the Botanical Survey of India, including Madhusudan Khanal, Dipankar Bora and Shubhadeep Sarkar, officially described the new species in the international journal Phytotaxa on September 9.

Only five flowering plants were found during the study, and the species has currently been classified as Data Deficient.

Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein expressed happiness over the discovery on social media, saying it adds another feather to the state's biodiversity crown and highlights the need to protect such fragile ecosystems.

Home to more than 600 orchid species, Arunachal Pradesh is widely known as the “Orchid Paradise.”