China News Service, Guangzhou, May 27 (Cheng Jingwei, Linyin) According to the Guangdong Forestry Bureau, on the 27th, the Guangdong Provincial Nature Reserve of Linzhou-top Crocodile Lizard in Maoming, Guangdong, recently discovered two small, three-level rare and endangered protected plants of orchid plantain , The number of living plants reaches three digits.
According to experts from the Guangdong Provincial Forestry Bureau, orchid plantains are an endangered species and are nationally protected plants. They belong to the Musa family in the taxonomy of plants. They are perennial herbaceous plants. They like a warm and humid environment. The distribution area is very narrow. In the dense forest valleys of Xinyi and Shangsi in Guangxi, their rhizomes are often used for heat-clearing medicine.
In 1932, orchid plantains were first discovered and collected at Hualoukeng, Bayi Forest Farm, Xinyi, Maoming, Guangdong. Afterwards, experts and scholars have not found live orchid plantain plants in the area. In June 2011, the Guangdong Academy of Forestry Research and the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences went to the record area to search for live plants again, but to no avail. The academic community generally believes that orchid plantains have become extinct in Guangdong.
A small community of orchid plantains was found in the Linzhouding crocodile lizard provincial nature reserve in Maoming, Guangdong. Photo courtesy of Guangdong Forestry Bureau
In May 2019, the staff of Linzhouding Nature Reserve found living plants of orchid plantain near the Hualou pit of Bayi Forest Farm in the nature reserve, and took relevant measures to protect and monitor them. On April 16 this year, when the staff went up the mountain again for daily patrols, they found two small communities of orchid plantains.
"The two red orchid banana small communities rediscovered this time are located on Hualoukeng Mountain at an altitude of 640 meters, and the plants are upright and growing well." Wu Xiongguang, Section Chief of the Conservation Management Section of Linzhouding Nature Reserve, believes that this discovery has a great impact on the study of flora and fauna in China. The classification of Musaceae and the protection of Guangdong species will have far-reaching significance.
Experts in the reserve advised that it is necessary to further carry out a carpet-based systematic investigation to thoroughly understand the resource background of the species, and to carry out rescue protection and systematic research.
The reporter learned from Maoming City Forestry Bureau that Maoming City has a complex terrain, abundant forests and grasses, and a good ecological environment. It is an ideal place for wild animals to grow and reproduce, and has rich animal resources. According to statistics, there are many kinds of local plants in Maoming. There are more than 120 families and more than 1400 species of higher plants. The main trees are cedar, pine, safflower, and Phyllostachys pubescens. Ground cover plants dominate.
In recent years, Maoming City has established 89 various types of nature reserves, especially for some important ecosystems and important animal and plant species, and established special nature reserves. For example, Yunkai Mountain National Nature Reserve mainly protects the south subtropical evergreen Broad-leaved forests and rare and endangered animals and plants; Linzhou Top Crocodile Lizard Provincial Nature Reserve mainly protects national first-level key wildlife wildlife and its habitat; Dianbai Mangrove Municipal Nature Reserve mainly protects mangrove wetlands and Mud along the beach. (Finish)