Altitudinal and Habitat-Dependent Morphological and Biochemical Variations in Crepidium acuminatum (D.Don) Szlach. in the Western Himalaya.

Crepidium acuminatum (D.Don) Szlach. is a medicinal orchid used in Ayurvedic formulations, such as Astavarga and Chyawanprash Rasayana. The present study assessed morphological and biochemical variations among diverse populations of C. acuminatum. The Thalkedar population exhibited maximum plant height, stem length, leaf length, and pseudobulb length. Similarly, the highest carbohydrate (root part 45.65 ± 1.52%) and flavonoid content (aerial part 2.09 ± 0.26 mg QE/g) were recorded in the Pandukholi population. Maximum protein (aerial part 4.28 ± 0.32%) and phenolic content (root part 2.13 ± 0.15 mg GAE/g) occurred in the Thalkedar population, while the highest methionine content (root part 9.86 ± 0.25%) was observed in the Ramgarh population. Correlation analysis revealed significantly positive relationships (p < 0.05) among traits, including pseudobulb length with plant height (r = 0.804), and pseudobulb width with stem length (r = 0.789). Elevation also showed a strong positive correlation with protein content (r = 0.887) and phenolic content in aerial (r = 0.873) and root parts (r = 0.878). The study identifies particular populations that need conservation and others with commercial potential. It concludes that developing conservation policies and domestication trials is vital for the management of this valuable species.