Precious plant found in Huzhou

A close-up of Calanthe sieboldii discovered in Anji county in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/tianmunews.com]

The wild plant survey team of the Anji forestry bureau recently discovered Calanthe sieboldii, a national first-level protected wild plant, local media reported on May 17.

This is the first time that a wild population of Calanthe sieboldii has been found in Zhejiang province and the first new record of a protected plant in the province in 2023.

Calanthe sieboldii grows in deep mountain forests at elevations between 300 meters and 1,500 meters. Due to its strict soil and environmental requirements, low natural fruiting rate in the wild, and extremely rare distribution of wild resources, it is known as the "golden monkey" of plants.

The plant currently only grows in mountainous areas of Jiangxi and Anhui provinces in China and is listed as critically endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is also one of 120 wild plants with an extremely small population that urgently need protection in China.

The aforementioned Calanthe sieboldii included just one specimen with three plants. The forestry department of Anji county has initiated on-site protection work.

Anji county is home to many wild plants. Since a survey of wild plants began in 2021, more than 2,200 species have been discovered in the county.