The present study conducted in the various vegetation types occurring at different elevations starting from the foot hills to the hill top revealed that forty two species of orchids belonging to 23 different genera under 3 sub families of the family orchidaceae occur in the hills. Out of the 42 species, 17 are endemic to Western Ghats. Among the genera, Dendrobium forms the largest taxon consisting of 7 species. All the 42 species of orchid were seen distributed in five orchid zones based on the vegetation type present at different altitudes. The five altitudinal zones are Zone I: Southern Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest, Zone II: Tropical Semi-evergreen Forest, Zone III: Southern Hilltop Evergreen Forest, Zone IV: Southern Montane Wet Temperate Forest and Zone V: Grasslands. Zone III harbours maximum number of orchid species. Orchids in zone 1 and zone 2 showed a relatively more preference for the Ficus spp. were as in Zone III and Zone IV Syzygium spp. is the most preferred host tree species.
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