Diversity and Ecology of Dendrobiums (Orchidaceae) in Chotanagpur Plateau, India

• Main Authors: Pankaj Kumar, Gopal Singh Rawat, Howard Page Wood
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: National Taiwan University 2011-03-01
• Series: Taiwania
• Subjects: Dendrobiums; diversity; ecology; Chotanagpur Plateau; India
• Online Access: http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/taiwania/abstract.php?type=abstract&id=1053

As part of All India Coordinated Research Project on Taxonomy of orchids (AICOPTAX) Chotanagpur Plateau was surveyed extensively for documentation of orchid species and distribution during 2002 -2006. Sixty three species were collected from the study area with Dendrobium as one of the largest group of epiphytic orchids comprising of 11 species, namely, Dendrobium aphyllum, D. bicameratum, D. cucullatum, D. crepidatum, D. formosum, D. fimbriatum, D. herbaceum, D. moschatum, D. peguanum, D. regium and D. transparens. Most of the species were found in the Sal (Shorea robusta) dominated forests. Stratified Random Sampling was used for ecological studies in the forested regions on the plateau. Results show that D. aphyllum was the most common amongst 11 species and it was distributed through out the altitudinal gradient, whereas, rest of the orchid species were found to be localised at comparatively higher altitudes. D. herbaceum was always found on the upper areas of the plateaus between 900-1000 m asl. D. crepidatum was seen in both epiphytic as well as lithophytic conditions, whereas D. moschatum were found growing as lithophytes along the streams. Rest of the species were epithytic. The paper also deals some microhabitat features governing the distribution of these orchids on the plateau along with their key for identification.