Guwahati: A rare, leafless orchid species last recorded during the British colonial era has been rediscovered in Meghalaya’s Khasi Hills after a gap of 175 years, marking the oldest documented plant rediscovery in the state and underscoring the rich but fragile biodiversity of Northeast India.
The orchid, Chamaegastrodia vaginata—often referred to as a “ghost orchid”—was rediscovered by researchers Yalatoor Mahesh, Rikertre Lytan and Ramalingam Kottaimuthu of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong, during botanical field surveys conducted under the project Parasitic Angiosperms of Meghalaya. The findings have been published in the scientific journal Vegetos.
The species was located in Lawsohtun, Upper Shillong, and its identity was confirmed after detailed comparison with historical botanical literature and type specimens preserved at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Originally collected in 1850 from Mamloo in the Khasi Hills by renowned botanists J.D. Hooker and Thomas Thomson, the orchid had not been recorded again in India for over a century and a half, leading scientists to speculate that it may have disappeared from the region altogether.
Unlike most plants, Chamaegastrodia vaginata is leafless and lacks chlorophyll, meaning it does not photosynthesise. Instead, it survives through mycoheterotrophy, a rare ecological strategy in which the plant draws nutrients from underground fungi associated with decaying organic matter in forest soils.
Researchers note that this unusual lifestyle makes the orchid extremely sensitive to habitat disturbance, as it depends on intact forest floors and stable microhabitats. Its small size and short flowering period also mean it can easily be overlooked during routine botanical surveys.
While the rediscovery confirms the species’ continued survival in Northeast India, the study presents serious conservation concerns. Fewer than 25 mature individuals were recorded, all confined to an area of less than 20 square metres.
Based on its limited population and highly restricted distribution, the orchid has been provisionally assessed as Critically Endangered in India.
At present, Meghalaya is the only Indian state where the species is known to survive, placing significant conservation responsibility on the region.
The orchid was found growing at elevations between 1,500 and 1,650 metres in damp, disturbed evergreen broad-leaved forests, under the canopy of trees such as Pinus kesiya, Castanopsis, Schima wallichii and Litsea species—forest types that also extend into parts of neighbouring Assam.
Researchers have warned that urban expansion, habitat degradation and unregulated tourism in and around Upper Shillong pose direct threats to this fragile population. Even minor changes to soil structure or forest canopy could be enough to eliminate the species locally.
Globally, Chamaegastrodia vaginata is known only from India and China, making the forests of the eastern Himalaya–Indo-Burma region a critical stronghold for its survival.
“Due to the limited number of individuals in the population, this species warrants urgent conservation measures. Its future survival depends on the continued protection of its existing habitat,” the researchers said.