Description

Dactylorhiza hatagirea, the Himalayan marsh orchid, is a terrestrial orchid of the family Orchidaceae, native to the high-altitude alpine meadows and boggy grasslands of the Himalayan arc from Afghanistan to Bhutan and Yunnan, growing between 2,600 and 5,000 metres elevation. The plant produces paired underground tubers — one representing the previous year and one the current growing season — which are harvested, dried, and traded under multiple vernacular names including Salam Panja, Mitha Panja, and Salab Misri. It constitutes one of the eight classical herbs of the Ashtavarga group in Ayurvedic Rasayana therapy. Documented in the Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam for its role in nutritive and aphrodisiac formulations, it is classified as an endangered species under IUCN assessment and is subject to collection restrictions.