Regions: East India

The sanjeevani of the rocks — curls up bone dry, then greens again in an hour of rain.

An antler-shaped epiphytic fern of Assam’s forests, mounted on a board.

The sour leaf of Assam and Manipur, cooked with fish and pork.

The thin-skinned Assam lemon, fragrant enough to scent a whole kitchen.

Hard glossy grain used as food, as beads and as a brewing grain in the hills.

The kodo of the Deccan and central hills — drought-proof and long-storing.

A white-backed fern that colonises damp walls and cut slopes on its own.

Fan-shaped leaflets on black wiry stalks — the fern of a shaded bathroom window.

The kopou phul of Assam — hanging foxtail sprays, and the flower of Bihu.

Cane orchid of the eastern hills, flowering along last year’s bare canes.