Two new orchid species discovered in S China’s Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park

Photo shows a new orchid species called Cleisostoma hainanense. (Photo/Huang Mingzhong)

A Chinese researcher recently discovered two new species of orchids in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in south China’s Hainan Province, according to the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS).

The new species, Cleisostoma hainanense, was first found by Huang Mingzhong, a researcher with the Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute under CATAS, in 2008 during a survey of Wuzhi Mountain in the province.

In 2016, Huang found the same species in the Diaoluo Mountain section of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. The researcher eventually named it Cleisostoma hainanense after its discovery site and based on further molecular analyses.

The other new species, Bulbophyllum lingii, was also found by Huang in 2013 during a survey of Diaoluo Mountain and was named by him in honor of the late Professor Ling Xubo, a pioneer in the floral industry in Hainan.

The finding has been published in the journal Phytotaxa. The discovery of more and more new species indicates a sound natural environment in Hainan, Huang said.

The Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park boasts one of the most concentrated, best-preserved and largest contiguous tropical rainforests in China and is a key area for biodiversity conservation in the world.