Language: English
The Northeast Indian state Meghalaya, which is part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, harbours a rich and diversified flora including orchids. Altogether, about 439 taxa of orchids belonging to 104 genera are recorded from three hills of the state, namely, Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills. These are reported in various publications including Kataki’s Orchids of Meghalaya, published by the Forest Department, Meghalaya, in 1986. Ever since there has been no updated list or pictorial guide available on orchids of the state.
This book is an attempt to provide an updated account on the orchids of Meghalaya including their conservation status. Four hundred fifty photographs are given in this book belonging to 284 species and 86 genera. The common and local names of many of these species are included. The meaning of generic names of the recorded genera from the state is also provided. These will be very useful in locating different orchid genera in the field. Detailed taxonomic description of the species is omitted in this pictorial guide as the same is available in Kataki’s book on Orchids of Meghalaya and some other publications. The authors hope this pictorial guide will be helpful for orchid lovers, students, forest managers and orchidological researches.