Rare flower, Sapria Himalayana spotted in Meghalaya

Williamnagar: A rare flower, Sapria Himalayana, which is normally documented in a few parts of Arunachal Pradesh was first seen in the Nokrek Biosphere, situated in West Garo Hills District, Meghalaya.

The new discovery of the rare flower has attracted the interest of many conservationists, who are now calling for the protection of forests and the environment.

The rare flower, Sapria himalayana is a holo-parasitic flowering plant, which is related to Rafflesia grown in the Eastern Himalayas. It is also the largest flower in the world, with ten bracts and is bright red covered with sulphur-yellow spots. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the flower as endangered because of the environment required for it to grow.

The flower has been spotted in Arunachal Pradesh. Although there have been records of it being present in Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland, there are no recent sightings until now.

An avid trekker, Bhuto Marak and his friend went on a trip to Nokrek Reserve. They spotted a fully grown sapria himalayana near the Nokrek Peak. They clicked a few pictures before informing the concerned authorities.

However, they did not reveal the place earlier as people might go there and disturb the environment. Marak said that the bud has only a 40-60 per cent chance of growing into a flower which only blooms for 2-3 days.

Apart from Marak, another resident from Tura spotted the flower in another section of the Durama Range near Nokrek. Many others have reported sightings of the flower, however, these are not verified.

Sapria Himalayana has three varieties, Griffith, poilanei and ram. The flowers are unisexual and dioecious. The flowering of these flowers takes place in the month of August and September, followed by fruiting during the winters.

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