Chinese researchers have discovered a new plant species of endangered orchids in southwest China's Sichuan Province, said the Wuhan Botanical Garden (WBG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The new species, Ponerorchis wolongensis, has white flowers. It was named after the Wolong National Nature Reserve, where it was first found in July 2020.

The finding has been published in the journal Nordic Journal of Botany.

It is also the second new orchid species discovered by the WBG in Sichuan this year. Previously, they have discovered a new orchid species, namely Corallorhiza sinensis.

With various terrains including mountains, plateaus and basins, the province is rich in biodiversity. It has more than 450 orchid species recorded.

The orchid family, as the second-largest family of angiosperms, has about 28,000 species worldwide and was listed as endangered plant species. They are widely distributed in various terrestrial ecosystems, said the WBG.

(Cover image via VCG)

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