Key findings:

The study examines the regulation of trade in endangered plant species under CITES, focusing on orchids in India. It identifies 10 Paphiopedilum and one Renanthera species in Appendix I, indicating they are threatened with extinction. Additionally, 1295 species from 179 genera are listed in Appendix II in India, with 54 monotypic orchid species.

What is known and what is new?

This study adds to existing knowledge by providing a comprehensive overview of orchid species listed under CITES in India. It highlights the significant representation of orchids in Appendices I and II, indicating the conservation concern for these plants. The identification of 54 monotypic orchid species in India is a new contribution, shedding light on their unique conservation status within the country.

What is the implication, and what should change now?

The implications of this study suggest the need for enhanced conservation efforts for orchid species in India, particularly those listed under Appendices I and II of CITES. Conservation measures should focus on protecting these species from threats such as habitat loss, overharvesting, and illegal trade. Additionally, there is a need for improved monitoring and enforcement of CITES regulations to ensure that trade in orchid specimens is sustainable and does not endanger the survival of these species. This study underscores the importance of integrating conservation priorities into national and regional policies and practices to safeguard India's rich orchid biodiversity.

At present, there are 175 countries that are parties to CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of wild fauna and flora). CITES gives varying degrees of protection to ca 5,000 species of animals and 29,000 species of plants which are traded as live specimens or as dried or preserved material. Three appendices are framed by the Convention which include the list of animals and plants subject to strict compliance of regulations of trade according to different degree of threats due to over exploitation from wild from forests. Species are listed by the CITES Parties (countries) at one of three levels of protection (appendices) with different requirements. These Parties regulate trade in specimens (live and dead) of Appendix- I, II and III species and their hybrids, parts, products and derivatives through a system of permits and certificates (CITES documents). The Parties would not allow unregulated trade in specimens of species included in Appendices I, II and III except in accordance with the provisions of the Convention. The CITES Appendices are periodically revised at the Conference of the Parties and the species are also shifted from one Appendix to another or deleted as required, depending on the situations. Orchids are the second largest families of flowering plants [1] and are distributed throughout the world. The family orchidaceae is divided into five subfamilies (Apostasioideae, Cypripedioideae, Vanilloideae, Orchidoideae, Epidendroideae). Orchids account for c. 8% of angiosperm species diversity [2]. Till date, 29,199 species have been identified and accepted (Govaerts et al., 2017) [3], although several hundred new species are added each year. By the end of 2017, the IUCN Global Red List included assessments for 948 orchid species, of which 56.5% are reported to be threatened.

Monotypic Plant Taxa

A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa [4]. In botanical nomenclature, a monotypic genus is a genus in the special case where a genus and a single species are simultaneously described.

India is considered one of the 12 mega diversity centres in the world.  Indian biological diversity is one of the most fascinating of the world and includes about 11% of the world’s flora and 7% of the world’s fauna. There about 63 monotypic families in the Indian flora. Nearly 38% of the flowering plants and 18 % of the total flora are endemic to this country. About 236 genera of flowering plants are monotypic in Indian flora. Dicots with 176 genera outnumber the monocots (60 genera). The most dominant plant families with monotypic taxa are Poaceae, Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Rubiaceae and Orchidaceae [5].

Indian Orchids in Appendices

Appendix I

Itincludes all species threatened with extinction which are affected by trade. These species are subject to particularly strict regulation in order not to endanger further their survival and must only be authorized in exceptional circumstances; 10 species of Paphiopedilum and one species of Renanthera are included in this Appendix.

Appendix II

It includes all species which although not necessarily now threatened with extinction may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival; In India,  1295 species belonging to 179 genera are included in this Appendix.

Monotypic Orchids of India

In India, there about 54 species of orchids are monotypic accounting nearly 4 per cent  of  total orchid species of our country out which 17 species are distributed in North East India [6].

Acrochaene  punctata Lindl

This is temperate epiphyte distributed in Assam, Sikkim, Bhutan, Thailand and Myanmar. Pseudo-bulbs are crowded, ovoid, arranged very close to each other, attached to a stout rhizome with many thick long roots and attached with a single oblong petiolate leaf. Inflorescence is 17 cm long, pendent laxy flowered. Flowers are 1 cm across, yellowish green with red spottings. Dorsal sepals are free, spreading, lateral sepals are adnate to the column foot, petal with long fimbriate margins, lips are three lobed,shortly clawed and  column is short [7].

Aenhenrya rotundifolia (Blatt.) C.S. Kumar & F. Rasm

This is a critically endangered terrestrial jewel orchids spreading by means of underground rhizomes and arranged with terminally solitary white flower. Leaves are olive green.  Aenhenryarotundifolia, is a very rare plant endemic to southern western ghats of India  [8].

Anthogonium  gracile Wall. Ex Lindl

This is a deciduous, miniature to medium sized terrestrial orchid found in Eastern Himalayas. The plants have ovoid pseudobulbs bearing stalked lance shaped narrow leaves. Inflorescence is a simple raceme with 10-12 flowers of pink-purple colours.

Archineottia microglottis (Duthie) Chen

This is a small to just medium sized, cold growing terrestrial orchid with a firm, stout, pale yellow to white stem carrying 2 to 4, loose, obtuse, pale sheaths that blooms on a terminal, erect, 10 to 20 cm long, glandular-pubescent, densely several to many flowered inflorescence.

Armodorum senapatianum Phukan& A.A. Mao

This is a monopodial epiphytic orchid with thick cylindrical roots arising near the base. Leaves are linear oblong. Inflorescence is axillary, 24-30cm long bearing 12 flowers. Flowers are 3-5 cm across, creamy white and fragrant. Sepals are linear-oblong whereas petals are oblanceolateDistrubuted in North East India [9].

Arundina graminifolia (D. Don) Hochr

These are terrestrial tropical and subtropical orchids attain a height upto 3 m, grown under full sun and grown as garden plant. The pseudubulb bears many grass like leaves with overlapping sheath.  Leaves are narrowlanceolate. The inflorescence is held well above the plant bearing 4-7 flowers. Flowers are 6.5 to 7.5 cm across, white purple produced on the top of the stem. Sepals are lanceolate whereas petals are ovate. Lip is purple with fimbriate margin. Distributed in tropical Asia.The rhizome of the  plant is used  as antibacterial  agent and its root decoction  is commonly  used for  the ailments of  diabetes tumor hyperliposis and hepatitis. The phenolic compound of this orchid has anti-hepatitis and anti-HIV activity. 

Bulleyia yunnanensis Schltr

These are subtropical epiphytes distributed in NE India, Bhutan and China.Plants are 35-40 cm tall arranged with creeping rhizomes. Pseudobulbs are ovoid-ellipsoid. Leaves are erect, papery, oblong-lanceolate. Inflorescence is racemose, 10-20 flowered, pendent. Flowers are translucent, charming and white. Sepals are ovate-oblong whereas petals are elliptic oblong. Lip is pale brown and spurred [10].

Cephalantheropsis  longipes (Hook.F.) Ormerod

This species is native to Sikkim, China and Philippines. Plants are terrestrial, 30-70 cm tall with stout cylindric stem and elliptic leaves. Inflorescence is 5 to 15 flowered. Flowers are 1-3 cm across, fragrant and white in colour. Sepals and petals are pure white whereas lip is white with yellow band along centre. Sepals are lanceolate whereas petals are obovate [11].

Cleisocentron pallens (Cathcart Ex Lindl.) N. Pearce & P. J. Cribb

This is an epiphytic herb with erect slender stem; covered with leaf sheaths, rooting throughout the stem. Leaves are fleshy, slightly curved, 7-10cm long. Distributed in India, South East Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia.

Coeloglossum  viride (L.) Hartm

This is known as “Frog orchid” distributed in the Himalayas, Russia, China and Japan.  Plants arise from fleshy forked roots. Leaves are obovate to elliptical and subsequently lanceolate. Inflorescence  is a dense raceme (spike-like cluster) containing 7 to 70 small flowers. Flowers are greenish in color, and often tinged with purple, reddish, or red-brown color. Seven new compounds, named coelovirins A–G (1–7), along with fourteen known constituents were isolated from the rhizomes of Coeloglossomviride var. bracteatum (Orchidaceae) [12].

Corallorhiza trifida Chatel.

Commonly known as  Yellow Coralroot, is distributed in the United States, Canada, Russia, China, Japan, Korea, India, Nepal, Kashmir, Pakistan, and almost every country in Europe. This is a leafless, fully myco-heterotropic orchid. Stems are unbranched, single to multiple clusters. Racemes are erect, 4 to 9 flowered.

Corybas  himalaicus (King &Pantl.) Schltr

This is a terrestrial tuberous herb grown to a height of 4 to 5 cm. Stem is glabrous, with a single sheath near its base. Leaves solitary, 1 to 1.5 cm long, sessile, just under the flower, green with many white nerves. Flowers are  solitary with no petals, white with violet red patches and lines. It is distinguished by its lip with rounded callus at mouth of the throat, an entire margin, a crimson distal portion and marked with 4-5 violet-red lines [13]. Distributed in the Eastern Himalayas to Assam.

Corymborkis  veratrifolia (Reinw.) Blume

This is commonly known as the White Cinnamon Orchid is distributed from tropical and subtropical Asia to Australia and the Pacific Islands. It is an evergreen, terrestrial orchid with a thin, upright stem, papery, narrow elliptic leaves and a short flowering stems with up to sixty crowded, short-lived green and white scented flowers. Flowers are almost twisted and 2-3 cm long. Sepals and petals are spathulate [14].

Cottonia  peduncularis (Lindl.) Rchb.F

Commonly called as ‘Bee Orchid’,  is an epiphyte or occasional lithophyte with elongate stems carrying many,  linear, obtuse, leaves that blooms on an erect, to upto 150 cm long, usually sparsely branched, densely racemose towards the apex inflorescence with successive, foul smelling, long-lived flowers. Flowers are yellow, 6-8mm across. Dorsal sepals are obovate whereas lateral sepals are elliptic. Petals are obovate whereas lips are orbicular. Distributed in western ghats of India and Sri Lanka. Plants are rich in flavonoids and phenols which can be utilized in medicines [15].

Cremastra  appendiculata (D.Don) Makino

This is a terrestrial herb with elliptic to lanceolate leaves. Inflorescence is racemose, 25-70 cm long densely 5-22-​flowered; Flowers fragrant and pinkish in colour. Distributed in India, China, Nepal, Thailand, Japan. The tuber of Cremastra appendiculata is one main source of “Shancigu”, which is a famous traditional Chinese medicine with a long history for treating cancers. About forty phenanthrenes, including ten biphenanthrenes, have been isolated from this plant in previous phytochemical investigations [16].

Cryptostylis  arachnites (Blume) Hassk

This is a terrestrial orchid with several thick, very hairy roots with 1 to 4, reticulate, ovate, leaves with a slender stalk that blooms in the winter on an erect, basal, 60 cm long, many successively flowered inflorescence with resupinate flowers. Distributed in India, China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Java and Sumatra.

Cyrtosia  javanica Blume

This is a miniature to small sized, warm to cold growing leafless mycoheterotrophic herb with a stout, erect rhizome, cylindrical fleshy roots and erect, branched, often curved stems with numerous scale leaves and blooms on a terminal, elongating inflorescence with successive, non-resupinate flowers. Distributed in India, China, Japan, Korea and South East Asia.

Dickasonia vernicosa L.O. Williams

This is miniature epiphyte with small, smooth and round pseudobulbs and  a single, apical lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, acute, membraneous, plicate leaf that blooms in the spring on a pendant, 4.5 to 10 cm long, few to several flowered, racemose inflorescence arises from the base of the mature pseudobulb and the flowers have a slightly musky smell. Distributed in India, Bhutan and Myanmar.

Didiciea  cunninghamii King &Pantl.

This is a terrestrial herb with a small pseuedobulb giving rise from it's side a single, broadly ovate, leaf that blooms in the summer on an erect, 12.5 to 24.6 cm long, laxly several flowered inflorescence and flowers that are confined to the upper 1/3 of the inflorescence. Distributed in the Eastern Himalayas, the Western Himalayas and Taiwan.

Diglyphosa latifolia Blume

This a terrestrial herb with a creeping rhizome carrying a tall cylindrical pseudobulb with a single, oval, leaf which gradually narrows into a 20 cm long, purple stalked, petiole that blooms in the spring on a basal, 20 cm long, densely many flowered inflorescence holding the Bulbophyllum-like, foul smelling orange red flowers towards the apic.Distributed in NE India, Indonesia and Malayasia.

Eriodes barbata (Lindl.) Rolfe

These are epiphyte or lithophyte with sulcate, globosepseudobulbs and carrying 1 to 3, lanceolate, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaves that blooms on a basal, erect, laxly 9 flowered, narrowing from broad base, pubescent, slender, weakly fractiflex, to to 80 cm long, racemose inflorescence carrying fragrant flowers. Distributed in India, Bhutan, Thailand and Myanmar [17].

Erythrorchis  ochobiensis (Hayata) Garay

This is  a large sized, warm  growing mycoheterotrophic terrestrial orchid  that blooms in the spring. This is a climbing herb that cling to surfaces with small, unbranched roots from the main stems. Densely crowded, resupinate flowers are borne on a highly branched flowering stem. The sepals and petals are fleshy, often fused to each other and spread widely, the petals narrower than the sepals. Distributed in India, Japan, Taiwan, Malayasia, Thailand and Myanmar.

Hemipilia  cordifolia Lindl

This is a terrestrial orchid, upto 30cm tall with ovoid to subspherical tuber. Stem is one tubular cataphyll at the base and one leaved. Leaf is heart shaped or round, purplish below and dark green with purple spots above. Inflorescence is 10-25 cm long bearing 3 to more than 10 flowers.Flowersare purplish red to pink. Distributed in the Himalayas.

Herpysma  longicaulis Lindl

This is terrestrial orchid with a long, creeping at base, erect higher up stem carrying to 9 ovate to ovate-lancolate, narrowing below into the grooved petiolate base leaves that blooms on a terminal,  25 cm long, subglobose, racemose, densely 8 to many flowered inflorescence. Flowers are white. Distributed in Eastern Himalayas, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand and Sumatra.

Holcoglossum  amesianum (Rchb.F.) Christ

This is commonly known as ‘Pine Needle Orchid’, amonopodial epiphyte with terete leaves. The stem is long and leafy. The plant produces bloom on a simple or branched axillary racemose inflorescence. Inflorescence is 25-35 cm long and 5-11 flowered. Flowers are 4-4.5 cm across, ovate with strap shaped lip and has several fragrant flowers which opens slowly. The flowers are attractive  with pink, purple and white flowers [18].

Hygrochilus  parishii (Vitch&Rchb.F.) Pfitzer

It is commonly known as ‘Parish’s Vanda’ a warm growing epiphytic orchid with a short stout stem carrying bilobed leaves. Inflorescnce is axillary, 45 cm long arranged with 5 to several flowers. Flowers are fragrant, yellow to yellow green  and long lasting. Distributed in Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and NE India.

India arunachalensis A.N. Rao

This is a pendent, mini-miniature sized, hot growing epiphyte with a pendent, short stem carrying obong-lanceolate, unequally obtusely bilobed apically, basally clasping leaves that blooms on 1 to 2, axillary, pendent, 4 cm long, racemose, several flowered inflorescence. Distributed in Arunachal Pradesh [19].

Ipsea  malabarica (Rchb.F.) Hook.F

This is a rare and beautiful terrestrial orchid with disc shaped tubers, coomonly known as ‘Malabar Daffodil Orchid’. Leaves appear after flowering are 8-10cm long and plicate. Infloresence is 10-15 cm long, 2-6 flowered, Flowers are bright yellow and opening partially. Distributed in Southern India.

Jejosephia pusilla (J. Joseph & H. Deka) A.N. Rao& Mani

This is a miniature epiphyte with very small flowers measuring 3 mm in diameter.

Kingidium  niveum C.S. Kumar

This is a mini-miniature sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with a very short stem carrying 1 to 3, oblong-elliptic, leaf that blooms on a terete, short, between the leaves, 1 to 8 cm long, purplish violet, few flowered inflorescence. Distributed in South India.

Lecanorchis  sikkimensis N. Pearce & P.J. Cribb

These are terrestrial, leafless myco-heterotrophs (formerly called saprophytes). They produce many, long, thick, horizontal roots under a short rhizome. Stems are erect, dark, branched or unbranched,thin and brittle. They bear few to many dull brown, purple, yellow or green flowers with a brighter lip. They are distributed in mountain forest of the Himalayas, China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea at altitudes of 300–1,500 metres.

Luisiopsis  inconspicuua (Hook.F.) C.S. Kumar & P.C.S. Kumar

This is an epiphytic orchid, 35 cm tall with dark green terete leaves. Inflorescence is supra-axillary stuffs with short and sheathed peduncle bearing 6-8 flowers. Flowers are greenish white.  Distributed in A&N islands and NE India [20].

Malleola  andamanica N.P. Balakr. & N. Bhargava

This is an epiphytic herb with 6-10 cm long stems. Leaves are few, jointed, narrowly broad; sheathing base, striate. Inflorescence is perforating the leaf-sheaths; scape 5-10 mm long, densely 10-30-flowered; flowers facing in all directions; peduncle hirsute with stiff hairs. Flowers are not resupinate, 8-9 mm across, white or creamy white with crimson stripes on sepals and petals. Distributed in Little Andaman Island and South Andaman.

Monomeria barbata Lindl

This is  a miniature sized, warm to cool growing lithophytes or  epiphyte with 7 to 9 cm between each smooth, ovoid to pear shaped pseudobulb carrying a single, apical, erect, leathery, strap shaped, leaf and blooms on a basal, erect to arching, 30 cm to 45 cm long, flexuous, 10 to 15 flowered inflorescence. Distributed in NE India, Thailand, Nepal and Vietnam. Phenolic compounds such as 9, 10-dihydrophenanthrene derivative, monbarbatain E (1), together with other known bibenzyl or phenanthrene derivatives are found in the rhizomes of Monomeria barbata Lindl. [21]

Neogyna  gardneriana (Lindl.) Rchb.F

This is a lithophyte or epiphyte herb, 30-45 cm tall with ovoid-cylindric to conical pseudobulb. Leaves are lanceolate, acute yellow green above, pale beneath.  Inflorescence is proteranthous or hysteranthous, 6-12 flowered; peduncle sheathed; raceme is 7-15cm long Flowers are 4-4.5cm long, white keels yellow pedicel.  Distributed in India and China [20].

Odisha  cleistantha S. Misra

This is a monotypic terrestrial orchid characterizded by the anther two-loculed, the locules longitudinally divided by a membranous septum, without basal canals. Pollinaria two, each with two oblong sectilepollinia, separated by the septum, and a minute acicular caudicle; viscidium absent. Stigma lobes basally joined; rostellum tongue-like, erect, somewhat petaloid, expanded and three-lobed at apex; the lobes triangular, free;  lateral lobes not connected with anther lobes, not with sac-like structures;  auricles reduced to slender hooks.  Distributed in Orissa and Jharkhand.

Pelantheria  insectifera (Rchb.F.) Ridl.

This is a epiphytic or lithophytic monopodial herb with cylindrical ramified stems and alternate fleshy ovate-elliptic leaves. Inflorescences are racemose bearing 2-5 close flowers of greenish-yellow colours. Distributed In A& N islands, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Thailand.

Penkemia  nagalandensis Phukan&Odiyo

This is an epiphyte with erect to ascending stems and fleshy leaves that blooms on 1 to 2, arching to pendulous, 3 to 4.5 cm long, 2 to 10 flowered inflorescence. Flowers are greenish yellow in colour. Distributed in NE India and China.

Polystachya concreta (Jacq.) Garay& Sweet

This is an epiphytic herb, commonly known as Yellow Helmet Orchid.  Plants are upto 13 cm tall with elongated ovoid pseudobulbs. It has 2-5 thin lanceolate-linear leaves from the tip of the pseudobulb and 10-60 non-resupinate waxy pale yellow flowers arranged on a panicle. Sepals are sub-ovate whereas petals are petals are linear-oblanceolate.  Distributed in Asia, Africa and America [22].

Renanthera  imschootiana Rolfe (Red Vanda)

 An endangered species, restricted to Manipur and other neighbouring states of North East India. Commonly called as ‘Red Vanda’. The stems are solitary, 90cm long arranged with a set of leaves closely packed on the stem. Inflorescence is horizontal, branched bearing more than 20 bright crimson flowers with red spots on a pale orange back ground of its dorsal sepal and petals. The flowers are long lasting, 6cm across and are produced during April-May [20].

Rhinerrhiza  freemanii (Rchb.F.) Garay

This is ommonly known as the ‘Raspy Root Orchid’. It is an epiphytic or lithophytic orchid with usually only a single stem, many flat, raspy roots, between two and six leathery leaves and up to sixty pale orange flowers with red spots and blotches. The sepals and petals are narrow, thin and pointed.

Rhynchostylis  retusa (L.) Blume

This species is native to India, Sri Lanka and Philippines. The stems are robust, woody with small stout aerial white roots. The leaves are leathery, strap shaped, linear, deeply channeled, and arching. The inflorescence is pendulous, 60cm long, many flowered, cylindrical. The flowers are waxy, short or long lived, sweet scented, 1cm across with white sepals and petals spotted with bluish purple and are produced during April-May. The plant is used to treat cough and cold in the Eastern Ghats region of India [23]. Whole plant is used as an emollient by people of Hassan district, Karnataka, India [24]. Leaf, stem and root are used to treat rheumatism in Assam, India [25]. People of Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India, use decoction of leaves for asthma.

Risleya  atropurpurea King &Pantl

These are mini-minaiture to small sized, cold growing terrestrial with a narrowly conic to cylindric, fleshy rhizome giving rise to a dark purple stem with 3, basal, tubular, membraneous sheaths that blooms on an erect, 6 to 20 cm long, densely 15 to 40 flowered inflorescence with triangular-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, membraneous floral bracts. Distributed in Assam, Sikkim, Bhutan, Myamar and Tibet.

Saccolabiopsis  pusilla (Lindl.) Seidenf.&Garay

This is an epiphytic small herb, up to 6cm high. Roots are many, greenish-white, slender, 1mm thick. Stem is short, pendulous, stout, terete, up to 8mm long and 3mm thick, slightly compressed, base woody covered with old leaf bases. Leaves are 2–5, alternate, distichous, subcoriaceous, sessile, falcate, linear-oblanceolate, notched or unequally bilobed at apex, undulate or subentire at margins, sheathing at base. Inflorescence is lateral, shorter than the leaves, erect, up to 2.5cm long, in racemes; peduncle short, slender, terete, up to 0.5mm thick, winged, racemes angled, winged, up to 1.8cm long, laxly few-flowered. Distributed in India, Bhutan, Thailand and Malayasia.

Sarcoglyphis   arunachalensis A.N. Rao

This is an epiphytic herb. Stem is few-leaved. Leaves are distichously arranged, ligulate, flat, unequally bilobed, with sheathing base, articulate, duplicate. Inflorescence arising from lower portion of stem, axillary, pendent, branched or unbranched, many-flowered. Flowers are  resupinate. Sepals and petals free, similar.Petals usually smaller and narrower than sepals.Distributed in Arunachal Pradesh [19].

Spiranthes  sinensis (Pers.) Ames

It is a small plant with soft  small tubers arranged with rosette of leaves. It has spiral inflorescence, 30-40 cm long. It is characterized by pretty pink to dark pink petals surrounding the white heart. Native to China and Japan [20].

Staurochilus   ramosus (Lindl.) Seidenf

This is   a  tropical,monopodial,  dwarf,   epiphyte orchid  with  a short stem having loriform, diagonally placed two-lobed apical leaves that blooms in the spring. Inflorescence is   racemosepaniculate,   25-35 flowered; peduncle is   15-20   cm long. Flowers are small, broadly opened,   petiole 7-8 mm.  Sepal  and petals are yellowish   brown   but  light   yellow   at  marginal surroundings; lip white. Distributed in NE India, Bangladesh and Thailand [26].

Stereosandra  javanica Blume

This is a mycoheterotrophic terrestrial herb with an elongated tuber of several short, swollen internodes with erect, pale yellowish shoots carrying a few short sheaths to 40 cm tall and blooms on a terminal, 15 cm long, successively laxly several to many flowered rachis with to 6 flowers open at any one time. Distributed in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Taiwan.

Taprobanea   spathulata (L.) Christenson

This is a climbing, epiphytic herb. Stem is climbing, with elongated internodes. Leaves are many, distichous, rigid, slightly decurved or held horizontally to stem, elliptic, shortly sheathing at base. Inflorescence is axillary, unbranched, racemose, few-flowered, much longer than leaves. Flowers are showy, resupinate, widely opening, uniform bright sulphur yellow in colour. Distributed in South India and Sri Lanka.The leaf and flower powder cures nervous system disorders and nervous debility [27]. Powder of dried flowers are given for asthma (GuhaBakshi Sensarma and Pal, 2001) [28], depression, maniac troubles scorpion sting (Shanavaskhanet al., 2012) [27], skin diseases and diarrhoea [29]

Thecostele   alata Parish &Rchb.F

This is an epiphyte with clustered, ovoid to ellipdsoidal, compressed, unifoliate, deeply sulcatepseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, thinly coriaceous, linear-lancelate, to elliptic-obovate, leaf with a grooved stalk that blooms on a pendant, laxly 20 to 40 flowered, 15 to 50 cm long, slender, flexuous, branching inflorescence arising from the base of the mature, often leafless pseudobulb. The inflorescence lengthen as the flowers open and new ones arise and the process can take 2 to 3 months. The cute, insect-like flowers are slightly scented and are incredibly intricate if viewed with a magnifying glass. Distributed in Bangladesh, Myanamar, Thailand, Malayasia, Laos, Vietnam, Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Philippines.

Tipularia  josephi Rchb.F. ExLindl

This is a temperate terrestrial herb, 20-50cm tall with sub-globosepseudobulb arranged in clumps. Leaves are petilate, ovate-elliptic and solitary. Inflorescence is raceme, 10-35 flowered, erect, emerges from the base of pseudobulb. Flowers are 1-1.5 cm in diameter, pale green with brownish purple spots. Distributed in NE India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar [30].

Trachoma  coarctum (King &Pantl.) Garay

This is an epiphytic  herb s with leafy stems, crowded, leathery leaves arranged in two ranks and a large number of relatively small, short-lived flowers that often open in successive clusters. Distributed in NE India and Myanmar.

Vandopsis  undulata (Lindl.) J.J. Sm

This is a large sized epiphytic orchid with elongated stems and oblong leaves. Inflorescence is 15-25 cm long and 4-8 flowered. Flowers are waxy, fragrant, white with yellow lip. Distributed in NE India, Nepal, Bhutan and China [20].

Vrydagzynea   albida (Blume) Blume

This is a terrestrial orchid with creeping rhizomes, 20 cm tall, carrying 6 to 8, ovate, acuminate, slightly asymetrical, shiny green, narrowing below into the petiolate base leaves that blooms on a terminal, densely many flowered,  5.5 cm long, pubescent inflorescence with the few to many at a time, sequentially opening flowers all held in an apical corymb. Distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia.

Conservation Measures 

The monotypic taxa require special attention from the conservation point of view, because they represent species which could be eroded forever due to their related genomes of these plants do not exist anywhere else in the world. Therefore, it is essential to document data about these, because these plants representing unique plant genetic resource that could not be found forever. To conserve biodiversity, it is necessary not only to maximize the number of taxa that are conserved today, but also to guarantee the maintenance of high levels of biological diversity in the future, and to achieve this, study of phylogeny is essential [31]. In phylogeny study, relationship between taxonomic and genetic diversity is clearly expressed by a suitable phylogenetic tree. If we consider that each species was diverged genetically from its relatives by an amount roughly proportional to the time since they diverged from their common ancestor, then the branch lengths in a phylogenetic tree scaled to the observed genetic divergence between species would provide a quantitative measure of diversity within a clade. From this concept, old, monotypic taxa often make relatively large contributions to diversity, and so should be accorded high priorities in conservation decisions [32].

Monotypism is a consequence of evolution which also could be thought in the light of Post-Darwinian conservation philosophy. Whatever be the distribution of monotypes collectively, all the monotypic taxa in a region are also considered as the best descriptor of the biodiversity in that region. An intensive field studies are essential to locate the species in the wild, and collect the relevant data. Although some efforts are ongoing to identify or ratify the threatened plants, and lists of endangered or rare and threatened plants have been prepared, the work is to speeded up at higher pace at which distribution status of the plants is changing due to ecological, anthropological and natural catastrophic factors. When the monotypic taxa show any promise of economic importance with respect to herbal medicines, their vulnerability is increased several fold. Monotypic taxa are, therefore, a challenging and stimulating groups that merits considerable further attention of both taxonomists as well as molecular and conservation biologists.

Funding: No funding sources 

Conflict of interest: None declared

Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of ICAR-NRC for Orchids

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