Calanthe whiteana of Sikkim is in the list of extinct floral species

bY B P Bajgain

The lists of threatened species is never static and the conservation status of a plant may vary for several reasons, one of them being the observability There is, therefore, every possibility that intensive and extensive plant explorations in hitherto unexplored areas of the country may result into rediscovery of many more species which are considered extinct today. In the middle of them ‘Calanthe whiteana King & Pantl’ from orchidaceae family of Sikkim falls under number 16 in the list of flora species considered extinct by the government of India.

It is mentionworthy that Calanthe – commonly abbreviated Cal. in horticulture – is a widespread genus of terrestrial orchids (family Orchidaceae) with some 170 species.