China News Service, Wuhan, September 28 (Yang Jiaxin, Jiang Shanma Furong) The reporter learned from the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on the 28th that the research team of Hu Guangwan of the garden recently published a new orchid plant in the international academic journal "Kew Bulletin". Species: Orchid Yajiang, this is the third new species of orchid found in Sichuan officially published by the research team following the publication of Chinese coral orchid and Wolong Wuzhu orchid.

  In August 2020, during the investigation of orchids in western Sichuan, researchers from Hu Guangwan's team found an orchid with white flowers and pink spots in Yajiang County. At the end of the flowering stage, and with few breeding individuals, researchers were unable to identify the plant's scientific name.

  In July 2021, the team went to the site again and photographed individuals of the species that were in full bloom, and there were a large number of them.

Through the morphological and molecular systematic studies on this species, it was finally confirmed that it is a new species of the genus Glossia of the Orchidaceae, so it was named as Glossia japonica according to the place name of its model origin.

Yajiang tongue beak orchid.

Photo by Hu Guangwan

  The study found that Orchid japonica is a terrestrial erect herb, 5-11 cm high, usually with 1-11 flowers, white flowers, purple spots on the lips, oval petals, flowering from July to August, fruiting period August-September.

  According to reports, Jasperia japonica grows next to a village, which is far from the protected area, and the habitat is easily destroyed.

When it was first discovered in 2020, there were relatively few breeding individuals. When the observation was returned the next year, more flowering individuals were found, but the habitat was also damaged due to the expansion of the village side road. One corner of the distribution area has been destroyed.

  The researchers said that investigations of orchids were also carried out in other areas of the county, including the Gexigou National Nature Reserve, but no other populations of this new species were found.

Therefore, this is the only population of G. japonica found so far, and its habitat is in urgent need of protection.

(Finish)