Abstract

The Darjeeling Himalayan region is a natural green house for a large number of Tropical, Sub tropical, Temperate, Sub temperate and Sub alpine Orchid species. When considered from Agro - Floricultural point of view, the region is known throughout the world as botanical paradise. Present paper deals with assessment of field availability status and medicinal uses of four taxa of terrestrial Orchid species like Goodyera schlechtendaliana Rchb. f., Habenaria furcifera Lindl., Herminium lanceum (Thunb. ex Sw.) Vuijk and Liparis nervosa (Thunb.) Lindl., in Darjeeling Himalaya of West Bengal, India. Detailed taxonomic description with color photographs, flowering and fruiting, altitudinal range, local distribution within Darjeeling Himalaya and geographical distribution are provided.