A rare orchid species recorded in Arunachal Pradesh’s remote forests

The orchid is Gastrochilus pechei, previously known only from Myanmar (Image: @ArunachalCMO/X)

High in the misty hills of Arunachal Pradesh, researchers have stumbled upon a rare orchid long thought to bloom only in Myanmar. The discovery adds a new member to India’s orchid family.

What species has been recorded?
The orchid is Gastrochilus pechei, previously known only from Myanmar. A team of researchers confirmed its presence in Vijoynagar, one of India’s most remote administrative circles along the Myanmar border.

The orchid was identified by Vinay Kumar Sahani and Minom Pertin from the Society for Education and Environmental Development in Changlang and Khyanjeet Gogoi from the Regional Orchids Germplasm Conservation and Propagation Centre in Assam. Their findings appear in the international journal Lankesteriana, published in Costa Rica.

When and how was it identified?
The team collected fresh plant material during a botanical excursion in September 2024. They confirmed the species after examining the flowers’ sepals and petals with the help of earlier literature.

First documented in 1825, Gastrochilus is a monopodial orchid group with 77 documented species distributed across Asia. The orchids are distinguished by their vivid flowers, short inflorescence, and clear floral structure. Gastrochilus pechei blooms in September and October, growing in damp rainforest environments on small trees along riverbanks.

How many species exist in India?
Before this finding, India had 22 recorded Gastrochilus species, 15 of them in Arunachal Pradesh. The new record strengthens the state’s claim as the Orchid State of India, home to about 60% of the nation’s orchid varieties.

According to researcher Minom Pertin, Gastrochilus orchids are small and often mistaken for other taxa. The record from Changlang shows floristic similarities between Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar, where G. pechei was earlier found in Kachin’s Putao County.