Meet me
Panch Aunle
Dactylorhiza hatagirea
A small purple orchid whose root looks like a tiny human hand — five fingers, which is exactly what its name means.
Protected under Nepali law
Almost gone
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Where I live
0 m2800–4500 m8,848 m
Flowers inJune, July
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My story
- 01It takes several years to grow one hand-shaped root, and digging it up ends the plant.
- 02Orchid seeds are as fine as dust and can only sprout with help from a particular soil fungus.
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What’s happening to me
Taking too much
How serious5/5The root sells for a very high price, so plants are dug out before they ever flower. This is the single biggest reason it is now critically endangered.
Melting snow and ice
How serious3/5It grows in damp alpine meadows fed by snowmelt. As the snow thins, those meadows dry out.
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For grown-ups
- Scientific name
- Dactylorhiza hatagirea
- Family
- Orchidaceae