Crepidium acuminatum

Botanical Description

Crepidium acuminatum is a perennial orchid growing from a cylindrical, fleshy stem up to 7cm long and 4 - 6mm in diameter. It usually produces 3 - 5 leaves[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is harvested in large quantities on a commercial basis, for use especially in making herbal tonic formulations. In parts of the Himalayas, including Himachal Pradesh, the harvesting of plants from the wild, including this species, for medicinal use is far in excess of the plant's ability to regenerate and many of the species are becoming rare[ 1308 Title Distribution Pattern, Survival Threats and Conservation of 'Astavarga' Orchids in Himachal Pradesh, Northwest Himala Publication Plant Archives Vol. 12 No. 1, 2012 pp. 165-168 Author Ravi Kant; Jagdeep Verma; and Kranti Thakur Publisher Year 2012 ISBN 0972-5210 Description ].