A rare orchid species blooms in India after 118-year hiatus

A rare orchid species has been rediscovered in India after forest officials and wildlife experts on a routine inspection in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve chanced upon the white flower with bright pink hues. The name of the species is Eulophia obtuse and also known as ground orchid.

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In India, the species — listed as “critically endangered” in the IUCN Red List of endangered species — was last recorded in Pilibhit in 1902.

The species was originally described from Uttarakhand in the 19th century. It was collected by botanists from Gangetic plains but there have been no sightings in the past 100 years. In 2008, the plant species was sighted in Bangladesh for the first time.

Eulophia obtuse:

KIngdom: Plantae

Division: Tracheophyta

Family: Liliopsida

Orden: Asparagales

Class: Orchidaceae

Genus: Eulophia

Species: Eulophia obtuse