Itanagar, Sept. 2 -- In a significant botanical discovery, researchers from the Society for Education and Environmental Development (SEED), Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh, have documented the orchid Gastrochilus pechei (Rchb.f.) Kuntze for the first time in India.
The rare species, previously known only from Myanmar's Kachin state, was recorded during a recent field survey in Vijoynagar, Changlang district.
The orchid is distinguished by its yellow sepals, white labellum adorned with purple spots, and unique floral structure. It grows as an epiphyte in moist evergreen rainforests near riverbanks at around 1200 meters elevation and flowers between September and October.
With this addition, India now hosts 23 species of Gastrochilus, of whic...