Some orchids recorded in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Assam’sKaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, the safest home of the one-horned rhino on Earth, sports at least 70 species of orchids.
Officials of the UNESCO World Heritage Site said on Thursday (May 15, 2025) these species across 36 genera were documented during a rapid survey conducted in the 1,302 sq. km protected area. Of these 79 species, 46 are epiphytes and 24 are terrestrial.
An epiphyte is a non-parasitic plant that grows on another plant.
Coelogyne imbricata.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Sonali Ghosh, the director of the tiger reserve, said the survey was an outcome of recent efforts for systematic documentation of Kaziranga’s floral and faunal assemblages. “The survey yielded new records, especially for grasslands and woodlands,” she said.
The bulk of these orchids (39 species) was recorded from the Panbari Reserve Forest within the tiger reserve.
Terrestrial orchids, such as Eulophia dabia, Zeuxine lindleyana, and Nervilia Juliana, were found along the riverbanks in the grasslands, while others like Acanthephippium striatum and Hetaeria affinis were recorded from the dense forest floor.
Cymbidium dayanum
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Among the species endemic to India are Biermannia bimaculata, Eulophia kamarupa, and Zeuxine lindleyana. The Bulbophyllum ornatissimum, Erythrodes blumei, Eulophia kamarupa, and Zeuxine membranacea are considered rare in Assam.
The survey was led by Khyanjeet Gogoi, an orchid conservationist and two Kaziranga range officers – Bibit Dihingia of the Bagori Range and Bibhuti Ranjan Gogoi of Kohora Range.
Ms Ghosh said the orchid survey was preceded by a unique conservation outreach programme focused on familiarising local students with the orchid and butterfly diversity in the Kaziranga landscape.
During the event with the students, three brochures highlighting the birds of Panbari and the butterflies and orchids of Kaziranga were released to raise awareness and appreciation of the region’s rich biodiversity.
Assam’s Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary, said the orchid discovery has added a new layer to Kaziranga’s iconic wildlife.
Kaziranga has an estimated 2,613 greater one-horned rhinoceroses, 104 tigers, 1,228 Asian elephants, 2,565 wild water buffaloes, and 1,129 eastern swamp deer. The censuses for these ‘Big Five’ animals were conducted between 2022 and 2024.
Published – May 15, 2025 08:50 pm IST