Description

Riddhi and Vriddhi collectively designate paired orchid tuber species — principally Habenaria intermedia and Habenaria edgeworthii — belonging to the family Orchidaceae and classified as integral members of the prestigious Ashtavarga group of classical Ayurvedic Rasayana botany. Growing in high-altitude Himalayan meadows between 2,500 and 4,000 metres in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, these terrestrial orchids produce twin tubers similar to Dactylorhiza species. In the Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam, Riddhi and Vriddhi are cited in the context of Rasayana and Vajikarana formulations — preparations associated with nutritive, aphrodisiac, and longevity-enhancing actions. Both species are under IUCN conservation concern due to the combined pressure of habitat loss and over-harvesting for the lucrative Himalayan herbal trade.