Gastrochilus Pechei Orchid was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

The orchid species Gastrochilus pechei has been recorded new in Vijoynagar, in Arunachal Pradesh , at 1,200 metres. It was first described in Myanmar, and the finding underscores the floristic relationship between the two areas and confirms the status of Arunachal Pradesh as the Orchid State of India , where approximately 60 percent of the orchid species in the country are found.

About Gastrochilus Pechei

• Member of the genus Gastrochilus , with a history of description in 1825, comprising 77 species distributed throughout tropical, subtropical, and temperate Asia.
• Characterized by monopodial development , short axillary inflorescence, coloured flowers, a pronounced epichle on the hypochile saccate, and two porate globose pollinia on a slender stipe.

Discovery, Identification.

• Discovered by researchers Vinay Kumar Sahani, Minom Pertin, and Khyanjeet Gogoi in September 2024 .
• Determination of identification using detailed study of flower structure and comparison with the literature. The record of this species in India is the first .

Habitat and Flowering

• Grows in wet evergreen rainforests , commonly in small trees around riverbanks.
• The flowering transpires in September to October.

Significance

• Before this, there were 22 Gastrochilus species in India; 15 of them grow in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The shared flora with Myanmar is the discovery that proves high biodiversity of the region.
• Suggests the need to conserve and carry out additional botany studies in Arunachal Pradesh.