Common Orchids of Darjeeling Hill with Traditional Medicine Importance

Darjeeling is an internationally well-known hill station in the Eastern Himalayas. The Eastern Himalaya is a part of the total Himalayan range, a biodiversity hotspot area among the world’s 36 and one of India’s four biodiversity hotspots. Orchid flora in Darjeeling is very rich. There are 109 genera with 392 species of orchids reported from this area. Among these 20% are terrestrial and 80% among them epiphytic. Some species of Orchids are medicinally important and well-known to the Chinese before 2800 BC. Acampe papillosa, Acampe rigida, Aerides multiflorum, Arundina graminifolia, Bulbophyllum guttulatum, Coelogyne cristata, Cymbidium devonianum, Dendrobium aphyllum, Eria lasiopetala, Vanda coerulea, Vanda tessellate, Vanda testacea are highly medicinal important and commonly recommended to the local people by the local non-certified medical practitioners. Different plant parts of these orchids are used for curing different common diseases like fever, jaundice, skin infections, bone fractures, paralysis, wounds, stimulants, boils, blood clotting, cholera, boils, pimples, etc. of hill peoples. The bioactive compounds present in some orchids are used as anti-cancer or anti-tumor, some have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet aggregation, neuroprotective, antimutagenic, antipyretic, etc. properties. However, the actual property of extracted compounds from some orchids is still not known. Therefore, this article aims to summarize the common orchids found in Darjeeling Hill and the use of these plants in traditional medicine. The traditional knowledge of medical sources re-established with modern scientific knowledge helps us to depend on those plants which are very much threatened in their habitat. The knowledge will help preserve the medicinally important orchids and their surrounding species, leading to habitat sustainability. Finally, the information can accelerate modern, pharmacological research and findings.

Animesh Mondal*1 Click here to download file

Research Article | Published online : 04-Sep-2023