• Androcorys josephi. Joseph's Herminium is a terrestrial orchid 11-27 cm tall. Tubers are ovoid or ellipsoid, 10-20 x 7-10 mm. Stem has 2 or 3 tubular sheaths at base, 2-leaved. Leaves are basal, almost opposite, linear-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 3.5-10 x 0.5-1.5 cm, tip pointed. Inflorescence is 9-24 cm long, peduncle cylindric. Rachis is 3.5-8.5 cm, densely several to many flowered; floral bracts ovate-lanceshaped to lanceshaped, about 3 mm, shorter than ovary, tip pointed. Flowers are fragrant, erect or horizontal, green to yellowish green; ovary straight, 7-8 mm including stalk. Dorsal sepal is nearly erect, broadly ovate, about 3 x 2 mm, 1-veined, apex obtuse; lateral sepals weakly spreading, ovate-lanceolate, slightly oblique, 3-4.5 x about ca. 1.5 mm, 1-veined, apex obtuse. Petals are ovate-lanceolate, oblique, 3-3.5 x about 1.2 mm, somewhat fleshy, 1-veined, apex sub-obtuse. Lip is pendulous, broadly ovate, 4-5 x 3-3.5 mm, somewhat fleshy, base shallowly concave, entire; disk with 2 short ridges below middle. Joseph's Herminium was thought to be an east Himalayan plant, but now it is known to be found from Kashmir to Sikkim. Jul.-Aug.

 

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  Epipactis helleborine. grows to a height of 80 cms has broad dull green leaves which are strongly ribbed and flat. The flowers are arranged in a long drooping racemes with dull green sepals and shorter upper petals. The lower labellum is pale red and is much shorter than the upper petals. The plant blooms in mid to late summer, and is found usually in areas of indirect sunlight. The plant usually becomes dormant during the winter and spring. It grows to 20–80 cm tall, rarely up to a metre, with four to ten leaves arranged spirally on the stem. The flowers are produced on a spike, each flower around 2.5 cm in diameter, pale green to whitish or pinkish in colour, and usually has a lavender tint on sepals. The lip is divided in a bowl-shaped hypochile, with the outer surface greenish-white and threaded with dark veins. The wavy, snow-white epichile is fan-shaped.The ovary is inferior. It produces a dry capsule with countless minute seeds.

 

 

 

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  Goodyera repens. Lesser rattlesnake plantain is a perennial orchid arising from short rhizomes that are shallowly rooted in mosses and the upper organic layer .It has erect stems and typically grows 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) tall but can reach 8 inches (20 cm) .The mostly basal leaves are typically ovate or ovate-lanceolate .Seven to 36 small (3-5 mm long) white or pale green flowers occur close together on one-sided racemes .Like other species in this genus, lesser rattlesnake plantain has perfect, bilateral flowers .The fruit is a capsule that contains numerous tiny and lightweight seeds . Aug.-Sep

 

 

 

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  Gymnadenia orchidis. Himalayan Fragrant Orchid is a terrestrial orchid, growing to 1-2 ft tall. Tuberoids are palmately divided. The leafy stem are rather stout. Leaves 3-5, are large, erect, oblong, pointed, up to 12 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. Flowers are borne in very dense, cylindric spike, 10 cm long. Bracts are ovate-lanceshaped, pointed. Flowers are rose-violet, pleasantly scented. Dorsal sepal is ovate, 5 x 3 mm, forming a loose hood together with the petals. Lateral sepals are narrower, oblong, 6 x 2.5 mm, spreading outwards. Petals are broadly obliquely-ovate, 5 x 4 mm. Lip is angular-ovate in outline, usually broader than long, 5 x 5.5 mm, wedge- shaped towards the base, shallowly 3-lobed at the tip. Spur is slender, cylindric, pointed, 1.5-1.8 cm long, filled with nectar. Ovary is slightly twisted. The fragrance of the flowers is very similar to the European Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea. Himalayan Fragrant Orchid is found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to Bhutan, at altitudes of 2500-4800 m. Flowering: Jul.-Aug

 

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  Herminium monorchis . Musk Orchid is a slender perennial ground orchid with an erect, usually lax, spike of tiny greenish-yellow, honey-scented flowers, each 2-3 mm across. Petals and sepals are somewhat converging, but not forming a hood. Lip is 3-lobed, with 2 lateral lobes projecting at right angles or curved forward. Mid-lobe is shorter. Lower leaves are elliptic oblong to linear lanceshaped, 2-7 cm long. Upper leaves are bract-like. Stem is 7-15 cm tall. Musk Orchid is found in the Himalayas. from Pakistan to Nepal, Tibet and China . 3000-4300 m. Jun.-Aug.

 

 

 

 

 

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  Neottia listeroides . Listera-Like Neottiais a terestrial orchid up to 50cm tall, often many together, of very variable size. Stem has 3-4 rather loose, brownish or brownish-green sheaths, hairless below, upper portion glandular-hairy. Inflorescence is usually loose. Bracts are ovate-lanceolate, as long as flower-stalks. Sepals are 3.5-6 mm, spreading or reflexed, slightly sickle- shaped, ovate-lanceshaped, greenish-brown or brown. Petals are linear- lanceshaped, nearly as long as sepals. Lip is 1-1.2 cm, stretched forward, from narrow base expanded into ovate-ligulate disk, margins shortly ciliate, mid-rib thickened, dark green to pale brown. Tip of the lip is divided into 2 oblique-oblong, parallel or slightly diverging, about 3 mm long lobes. Column is 4 mm, slender, slightly incurved. Ovary is elliptic, with 5-6 mm long pedicel, glandular-hairy. Listera-Like Neottia is found in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to Bhutan and S. China. 2900-3200 m.  Jul.-Aug.

 

 

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  Platanthera latilabris. Plants 18-55 cm tall. Rootstock tuberous, ellipsoid or ovoid, 1-2.5 cm. Stem stout, with 2 or 3 tubular sheaths at base, (2 or)3-6-leaved. Leaves cauline, widely spaced, ovate to oblong, 5-13 × 2-5 cm, base clasping, apex acuminate. Peduncle elongate, with 1-4 foliaceous bracts; rachis cylindric, 7-30 cm, laxly several to 40-flowered; floral bracts lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, apex acuminate. Flowers yellowish green; ovary and pedicel cylindric-fusiform, 10-16 mm. Dorsal sepal erect and connivent with petals, broadly ovate to orbicular, cymbiform, 5-7 × 3-4.5 mm, 3-veined, pubescent, margin ciliate, apex obtuse-rounded; lateral sepals reflexed or spreading, ovate, slightly oblique, 5.5-8 × ca. 3.5 mm, 3-veined, pubescent, margin ciliate, apex obtuse. Petals oblong, slightly oblique, 4-7 × (2.5-)4-5 mm, fleshy, 1- or rarely 2-veined, apex obtuse to subacute; lip linear-lanceolate to oblong, 5.5-13 × ca. 1 mm, entire, apex obtuse; disk with a conic callus in front of mouth of spur; spur spreading horizontally to slightly pendulous, cylindric, 8-18 mm, usually longer than ovary, slender, apex obtuse to slightly acuminate. Column erect, short; staminodes subsquare, small; anther locules nearly parallel; pollinia obovoid, with very short caudicles and small, orbicular viscidia; rostellum erect, short; stigma lobes separate, raised, oblong to narrowly oblong, parallel, spreading on either side of base of lip. Capsule fusiform, shortly beaked. Jul.-Aug.

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