Rare orchid species discovered in China's Tibet

Scientists have found a rare orchid species, named Chiloschista densiflora, in Metok County of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. The discovery has been published in the journal Phytotaxa.

Morphologically, the orchid is characterized by a middle lobe with a pubescent callus ranging from base to apex, two conical calli at base, and a short and stocky column, said the paper's abstract.

Jin Xiaohua, researcher with the Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that such an orchid was first discovered in Bhutan, and only Metok County is known to host this species in China.

Metok County has a huge distinction in terms of vertical elevation, straddling a slew of different climate and vegetation zones, with diverse flora and fauna, which provides favorable conditions for the growth of orchids. The results showed that Metok is among the nine counties considered hotspots for orchids in China, Jin said.