The orchid family covers 90 percent of the rarest plant under protection all over the world. The ecological and economic value of orchid has aroused public awareness. In order to verify the resource status of wild orchidaceous plant in southern Guizhou, a team of scientific researchers has spent three years to finish this investigation. Nia reports.

    In funnel forests of Maolan National Nature Reserve, there occurred great diversity of orchidaceous plants. In order to carry on further scientific study on wild and endangered plants, scientists team up working on verifying the resource status of wild orchidaceous plants in Maolan.

    Thanks to Maolan’s unique karst geological characters, members of the orchid family, estimated to contain up to 85 species of 32 genera, preferably occur in the virgin forests of Maolan National Nature Reserve. Scientists have been investigating and sampling these plants, the major part of the research shows that orchidaceous plants in Maolan reach great abundance and diversity, some species like Cymbidium goeringii, Cymbidium Faberi Rolfe, Cymbidium Floribundum Lindl, C.Lancifolium and C.Longbracteatum which are widely distributed in China and most popular also grow in Maolan. The orchid family is a usually large family includes terrestrial, epiphytic and saprophytic genera. In Maolan, there are occurred also some epiphytic genera like Dendrobium, Liparis and Cleisostoma, and even some tropical genera like Oberonia, Phreatia Lindl and Vanea coerulea as well as some temperate species like Cremastra appendiculata, Listera puberula Maxim.

    Among them, Paphiopedilum emersonii and Paphiopedilum barbigerum which are the one of most endangered species of orchid family in the world are as well distributed in Maolan. Whatever orchidaceous plants grow in Maolan, their beauty and mystique make them an important subject for the research on the endangered plants.  

 Meishan Zhou (Nia)