GUWAHATI: A new species of orchid named Crepidium assamicum has been discovered in Assam’s Dibru Saikhowa National Park.
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The species was discovered by assistant Botany professor Dr. Jintu Sarma of Guwahati College and Khyanjeet Gogoi, who is also known as the Orchid Man of Assam.
This species has increased India’s total number of orchids under the genus Crepidium in India to 19, while the global mark for orchids has reached up to 281. The new discovery has been established via a research paper in the Feddes Repertorium, a globally recognized journal of systemics.
Assam harbors about 414 species of orchids, with this number reportedly increasing day by day.
Additionally, scientific reports verify that there are about 27,000 species of diverse orchids in the world, with India hosting about 1,265 of them, and Northeast India about 800.