The fascinating Orchid Flowers exhibit an incredible range of diversity in size, shape, structure number, density, colour and fragrance. They flower regulalrly in almost all the colours & variations. The unmatched ornamental value of orchid flowers accounts for multimillion dollar-cut-flower trade in Interantional Mrket. they provide cut blooms which keep frsh for long and add to the variety of floral arrangements. Though, there is often a preference of hybrids in commercial trade yet in beauty and other blossom characters many native species stand as competitors with best hybrids. Some of them even enjoy a national flower status, such as Dendrobium nobile is the state flower of Sikkim. The Orchidaceae is one of the largets families of the flowering plants. Out of about 2000 species, about 750 genera known to occur in the warm humid parts of the world, nearly 1300 species are estimated to occur in India.

The bountiful rainfall of about 1500 to 2000mm per year distributed over long period from April to October and realative humidity of 75% to 95% provide climiatic conditions well suited for temperate Orchids. Among the environmental hazards the obiquity and effectiveness of biotioc pressure is quite fairly recognised and with the rise in population in the hillls of Eastern Himalayas. Unfortunately the natural orchid population is on the decline due to excessive collection and over harvesting by traders or botanical explorers or by hobby collectors or by deforestration. Further more, many orchids are becoming '' endangered or threatened'' on account of habitat destruction, area devlopment and industriliazation. According to Scientific estimates as many as 147 are under the threat of extinction world wide.

The Economic imporatance of orchids lies mainly in their ornamental value, but many orchids are used in the traditional systems of medicine for using a number of ailments. They are rich in alkaloids, flavinoids, glucosides, carhohydrates and other phyto-chemical contents. The beautiful Vanda coerulea is extensively used for eye disease by the Tribal people of Eastern Himalaya. The juice of its flowers as eyedrop is believed to cure glaucoma, cataract and even blindness. The flowers of Dendrobium nobile are used for various eye troubles. The whole plant of Paphiopedilum insigne is said to be very useful for stomach trouble such as amoebic dysnetry.

The different varieties and species of Orchids found in Hee Bermiok, West Sikkim

Hosted by Hee-Bermiok Tourism Dev. & Heritage Conservation Society

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