Checklist and Diversity of Wild Orchids at Koppa Taluk, Chikkamagaluru District, Karnataka, in the Western Ghats

Orchids are charismatic group of flowering plants, exhibit remarkable diversity and ecological importance. Despite their evolutionary and economic importance, comprehensive studies on orchid diversity in specific regions are often lacking. This research paper aims to fill this gap by thoroughly studying orchid diversity in different regions of Koppa taluk of Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka. The study area possessed vegetations like evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, scrubby, Shola grasslands and Acacia plantation. Extensive and intensive field surveys revealed the occurrence of 97 species of orchids belonging to 40 genera. Among these, epiphytes (64), terrestrial (31) and mycoheterotrophic (2). The findings provide valuable insights into the orchid flora of Koppa taluk, highlighting its endemism and distributional status in the study area.