Common name: Indian Oreorchis
Botanical name: Oreorchis foliosa var. indica Family: Orchidaceae (Orchid family) Synonyms: Corallorhiza indica, Oreorchis indica
Indian Oreorchis is a terrestrial orchid found in the open meadows,
dappled shades and cliff sides, in the Himalayas, from Utarakhad to NE
India, at elevations of 2500-4500 m. It is a medium sized, cold growing
orchid with corm-like pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, oblong-
lanceshaped, pointed leaf that narrows at the base into a short stalk. The
plant blooms in the spring and summer on an erect, 30 cm long, up to 10
flowered inflorescence enveloped in the lower half by tubular bracts with
the flowers all held in the top portion. The species name foliosa
was applied when the species was included in the genus Corralorhiza
and it was a rare, leafed species. On the other hand, all Oreorchis
have leaves, so the species name is a bit meaningless.
Identification credit: Pankaj Kumar
| Photographed in Valley of Flowers, Uttarakhand. |
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