Yunnan’s Xiaoheishan Provincial Nature Reserve: ideal habitat for rare wild plants

Photo shows a flower of the Corybas taliensis, a wild plant. (Photo/Yu Yunjiang)

Boasting lush mountains and clear waters, the Xiaoheishan Provincial Nature Reserve in southwest China’s Yunnan province is arguably the ideal habitat for abundant rare wild plants.

Sitting between 600 and 3,001.6 meters above sea level, the nature reserve, which is located in Longling county of the province’s Baoshan city, covers an area of 5,805 hectares, and with a forest coverage rate of 81.4 percent. Thanks to its diverse climate and topography, the nature reserve is home to 625 plant species endemic to China, and 10 of them are only found in the county.

New species, including the Hoya gaoligongensis and Corybas taliensis, have been discovered in the county as recently as 2020, indicating the continuous improvement of the local ecological environment.