ADDITION TO INDIAN ORCHID FLORA - CLEISOSTOMA DUPLICILOBUM (J. J. SM.) GARAY FROM NAG ALAND

摘要

During a plant collection tour in connection with "Flora of Mt. Saramati, Nagaland" under Annual Action Plan of Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Circle, Shillong some orchids were collected and brought to Shillong. One species among these orchids initially thought to be Renanthera imschootiana due to its resemblance in habit were collected during December 2003 from a tree trunk of felled Quercus semisserata between Penkim and Thanamir village of Kiphirie district in Nagaland (India) at an altitudeof 1600 m. The vegetation of the area is mixed pine forest, completely cleared for 'Jhum Cultivation', which is the only type of agricultural practice of the area. The forest thus cleared was burnt in the month of March 2004. On second visit during May 2004 no further collections could be made, as the area was already a paddy field. The collected plants raised in the 'National Orchidarium' of Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Circle, Shillong, Meghalaya, flowered during July 2005. On critical examination the orchid was identified to be Cleisostoma duplicilobium (J. J. Sm.) Garay a species known from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Java. Therefore collection of this species is a new record for India. One flowering specimen was made a voucher specimen for record and rest three plants are thriving well in the Orchidarium.