Nepenthes khasiana (Indian Pitcher Plant) - Sikkim Flora

Nepenthes khasiana (Indian Pitcher Plant)

Venue: Ever Green Nursery, Rhenock,  East Sikkim

Date: April 9, 2010

Pic: Shital Pradhan

Nepenthes khasiana (Indian Pitcher Plant)

Venue: Ever Green Nursery, Rhenock,  East Sikkim

Date: April 9, 2010

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae

Phylum:          Angiosperms

Class:             

Order:             Caryophyllales

Family:           Nepenthaceae

Genus:            Nepenthes

Species:           N. khasiana

Binomial name: Nepenthes khasiana Hook.f. (1873)

Other Names:  Indian Pitcher Plant

Special feature: It is a carnivorous plant endemic to the Khasi hills of Meghalaya and also the only Nepenthes species native to India.

It is named after the Khasi Hills, to which it is largely endemic.

The Khasi people call the plant tiew-rakot, which means demon-flower or devouring-plant. The Jaintias call it kset phare, which is roughly translated as lidded fly net. The Garo call the plant memang-koksi, which literally means the basket of the devil.

Nepenthes khasiana is a protected species, classified as Endangered, and is on CITES Appendix I. (Source: Wikipedia)

 

Indotestudo elongata (Elongated tortoise) - Sikkim Reptile

Indotestudo elongata (Elongated tortoise)

Venue: Rhenock, Chalamthang,  East Sikkim

Date: June 27, 2011

Pic: DEEPEN PRADHAN, RHENOCK

Indotestudo elongata (Elongated tortoise)

Venue: Rhenock, Chalamthang,  East Sikkim

Date: June 27, 2011

Pic: DEEPEN PRADHAN, RHENOCK

In my little knowledge there are two instance that a tortoise was ever recorded in Sikkim. on both ocassion the tortoise was reported to be Indotestudo elongata. 

* The first recorded instance was during the last week of July 2008 a little yellow tortoise was found by two labourers woring at the site of a Rock Garden construction, at the base of nearby Tarey Bhir (South Sikkim) on the bank of a seasonal rivulet called Khanni Khola.that was later identified by Usha Lachungpa Sr. Research Officer (WL) identified it as a male Sal Forest Tortoise Indotestudo elongata (Blyth) of the Family Testudinidae.

* The second finding was from Chalamthang near Rhenock (East Sikkim) on June 27, 2011. The yellowish color tortoise weighed around 3.5 to 4 Kg. It was latter taken to Kitam Bird Sanctuary. It was recsued by Mani Kumar Pradhan, resident of Chalamthang. The department confirmed the species as Indotestudo elongata, an endangered species.

This cold-blooded reptile is one of the only four land tortoises found in India. It is legally protected under Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as amended up to 2006.