Consider the following statements about Rhynchostylis retusa (Foxtail orchid) : 1. It is an epiphytic orchid. 2. The species is endemic to North-east India. 3. It is the State flower of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 3 ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) 3 only
Why the answer is (b)
• Rhynchostylis retusa, the foxtail orchid (Kopou phul in Assamese), grows on tree trunks and branches as an epiphyte, drawing moisture from the air — statement 1 is correct.
• It is the State flower of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and is worn by Bihu dancers in spring — statement 3 is correct.
• Statement 2 is wrong: the species is not endemic to North-east India; it ranges widely across South and South-east Asia, from Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats to Indonesia and the Philippines.
• 'Endemic' means found nowhere else, a stricter claim than 'common in' or 'native to'.
• Hence 1 and 3, option (b).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 only
- Statement 3 is also correct: it is the State flower of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
- (c) 2 and 3
- Statement 2 is wrong: the orchid is widespread across South and South-east Asia, not endemic to the North-east.
- (d) 3 only
- Statement 1 is also correct: it is an epiphyte.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026, held on 24 May 2026. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.