Dehradun (Uttarakhand):The Research Wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department discovered a new and rare species of Orchid, as per an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer. Known as Cephalanthera erecta var. oblanceolata, it was discovered in the Chamoli district. The species discovered was previously not reported in India. This discovery was made by a team of Range Officer Harish Negi and Junior Research Fellow Manoj Singh while exploring the Mandal area of Chamoli district.
This terrestrial orchid was found at an altitude of 1,870 meters in the humus-rich Rhododendron-Oak forest. Sanjiv Chaturvedi, IFS, also the Chief Conservator of Forest (Research), confirmed this discovery and said: "It is for the first time that Cephalanthera erecta var. oblanceolata has been reported in India and this has now been officially recognized by Botanical Survey of India (BSI) as a new edition to list of Indian flora".
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