Review Article [Yonzone et al., 3(4): April, 2012] CODEN (USA): IJPLCP ISSN: 0976-7126 Int. J. of Pharm. & Life Sci. (IJPLS), Vol. 3, Issue 4: April: 2012, 1590-1606 1590 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY & LIFE SCIENCES Taxonomic assessment on the reported orchid species of Darjeeling district from flora of Bhutan, the Orchids of Bhutan - A review Rajendra Yonzone 1 *, D. Lama 1 , R. B. Bhujel 2 , Khyanjeet Gogoi 3 and Samuel Rai 4 1, Department of Botany, St. Joseph’s College, P.O. North Point, Darjeeling, (W.B.) - India 2, Taxonomy and Ethnobiology Research Laboratory, Cluny Women’s College, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, (W.B.) - India 3, Disa Bordoloi Nagar, Talap, Tinsukia, (Assam) - India 4, Darjeeling Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, (W.B.) – India Abstract Present paper deals 90 genera with 283 Orchid species reported from Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India from Flora of Bhutan, the Orchids of Bhutan. Of them, 42 genera with 167 species are epiphytic, 44 genera and 107 species are terrestrial, 3 genera with 4 species are saprophytic and the rest 3 genera with 5 species are partial/semi saprophytic in habitat. Of them, the genus Cymbidium and Liparis fall both in epiphytic and terrestrial habitat. Key-Words: Reported Orchid species, Flora of Bhutan, Darjeeling district. Introduction Orchids belong to the family Orchidaceae is considered to be the most highly evolved in the floral specialization and diversified form among the monocotyledons. In India, Orchids from 9% of our flora and are the largest and highly advanced botanical family of higher plants. It is estimated that at about 25,000-35,000 species with 800-1,000 genera are distributed throughout the world. About 1300 species with 140 genera of Orchid species are found in India with temperate Himalayas as their natural home 1 . Darjeeling is an important constituent of Eastern Himalaya, falling in Northern part of West Bengal of Eastern India and a well known place of tourist interest for its colourful natural greenery and paramount glistening background of snow peak, the Mountain Kanchanjunga, the silvery and shining slopes of which shall tempt one to forget the rest of the world behind, when standing in reality at the Phalut summit at 3600m altitude. The region is well known for its diverse range of vegetation and as one of the richest in India 2 . The district is subdivided into four sub-divisions viz., Darjeeling sadar; Kalimpong, Kurseong and Siliguri (Fig. 1). * Corresponding Author E-Mail: ryonzone99@gmail.com The region lies between 26 31’ and 27 31’ north latitude and between 87 59’ and 88 53’ east longitude in the eastern Himalayan region of India. It is bordered by Sikkim in the north, Terai and Dooars in the south, Bhutan in the east and Nepal in the west. The district has two topographical features. Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong form the hill areas whereas Siliguri is stationed at the foothill in a vast stretch of the plains. The shape of the district is triangular. The total area of the triangular shaped district is 3254.7 sq. km. which is 3.68 percent of the total areas of West Bengal state. The hilly region covers 2320 sq. km. and the remaining 934.7 sq. km. of the area falls in the Terai and plains. The altitudinal variations of the district range from 130m at Siliguri to 3636m at Sandakphu-Phalut with a sharp physiographic contrast between the plain and the mountainous regions. The region is rich in Orchid diversity and havour a number of species. Flora of Bhutan, the Orchids of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim and Darjeeling volume 3 Part 3 by N. R. Pearce and P. J. Cribb, 3 illustrated by Susanna Stuart-Smith published by Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Royal Government of Bhutan, 2002, the total number of species, based on verified specimens from the Bhutan, Sikkim, Darjeeling and the Chumbi Valley has 579. But 90 genera with 283 species reported from the Darjeeling region combining with Bhutan, Sikkim and Chumbi Valley. Many of the