It’s called orchid but it’s not an orchid. This new species discovered in Wuhan is not simple!

Recently, a paper on a new plant species discovered by Chinese researchers in Wuhan, Hubei, was published in an internationally renowned journal. This discovery has attracted widespread public attention due to the long experimental time and high research value of the species.

International taxonomic journal Phytotaxa

Image source: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

This new plant species is called Scarlet Chimonanthus orchid, a species of Chimonanthus orchid. Although it has the word "orchid" in its name and exudes a more fragrant aroma than orchids, it is not an orchid, but belongs to the order Piperales. What is less known is that it took a full six years to discover and confirm the Scarlet Chimonanthus orchid!

Six years of research finally paid off

One day in the fall of 2016, Zhao Xinlei, an expert from the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, accompanied by doctor Zhou Chongjian and others, came to Shimen Mountain in Huangpi District, Wuhan for an investigation.

Shimen Mountain is located in Changxuanling Town in the north of Huangpi District. Due to its remote location, there are not many tourists visiting. Zhao Xinlei and his companions walked along the winding path and saw towering ancient trees and layers of vegetation, which was very original.

During the investigation, Zhao Xinlei found several plants with strings of red beads on the slopes of Shimen Mountain that looked very much like the golden orchid. Experience told him that this was a new species of plant that had never been seen before. In order to facilitate long-term research, Zhao Xinlei brought it back to the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

After returning to Beijing, he and his colleagues at the Institute of Medicinal Plants worked hard to plant new species. In summer, they were planted outdoors, and moved indoors when the temperature was above 30 degrees Celsius; in autumn and winter, they were planted indoors, and moved to a warmer place when the temperature was below 10 degrees Celsius. This was based on the planting method of the golden orchid.

With a sufficient number of samples of the new plant species, research becomes much easier. Through multiple chromosome sampling and genetic testing, Zhao Xinlei and his colleagues determined that the new plant species is a species of Chrysanthemi orchid.

In order to thoroughly understand this new plant species, Zhao Xinlei went south alone to Shimen Mountain in Huangpi in the summer of 2021 and began a field survey that lasted more than ten days. He began a carpet search from the place where the unknown golden orchid was first discovered, but did not find a single plant within a radius of several kilometers.

Considering that there are no other records of this new plant species in books and online media, and that this plant has never appeared anywhere else except in Shimenshan, Wuhan, Zhao Xinlei, Zhou Chongjian and others named the new species "Scarlet Golden Millet Orchid" and wrote the discovery process, experimental research and reasons for the name in the paper. In late October this year, the paper was published in the international taxonomy journal "Phytotaxa".

"Phytotaxa" was founded in 2009 and has been included in the international authoritative database SCIE. Its publication scope includes fields such as botany, among which plant taxonomy is considered authoritative. The publication of the paper in this journal means that the new plant species scarlet golden orchid has been recognized by the industry. So far, the six-year journey of discovering scarlet golden orchid has come to an end.

Phytotaxa crimson chrysanthemum

Image source: Plant House

Like orchid but not orchid, not simple

In fact, the reason why it took researchers six years to confirm the species of scarlet chrysanthemum is not only due to the impact of the northern climate on cultivation (chrysanthemums live in subtropical or tropical areas and prefer warm environments. Too cold or too hot are not conducive to their growth), but also because the chrysanthemum species is complex, has a wide range of uses, and has many followers.

Chrysanthemi belongs to the order Piperales of the angiosperms, with 70 species in the world, divided into five genera, including Chrysanthemi, Sarcosporum, and Snow Coral. The most famous of them is Sarcosporum, also known as Chrysanthemi, which is the raw material of the medicine "Scoral Lozenges".

The biggest biological characteristic of the golden millet is that its flowers produce strings of small yellow beans, which look like an enlarged version of millet. Millet is pure yellow, which is also the origin of the name of the golden millet.

Wild crimson chrysanthemum

Image source: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Another biological characteristic of the golden millet is that it can emit a strong aroma. Therefore, the golden millet can not only be used as an ornamental plant, but also as a medicine, brewing tea, and has multiple values ​​such as medicine, ornamental, and food.

The multi-valued Chrysanthemi orchid has attracted widespread attention from botanists and scholars. In April 2022, scholars discovered a new species of Chrysanthemi orchid in Guanshan National Nature Reserve in Jiangxi Province and named it "South China Chrysanthemi orchid".

South China Chrysanthemi Orchid Source: Plant House

Although the golden orchid exudes fragrance and has the word "orchid" in its name, it is not an orchid. This is because orchids belong to the order Microcotyledons of the monocotyledonous plant class, are purely herbaceous, have long strip-shaped leaves, and are difficult to bear fruit. The pseudobulbs (i.e., degenerate stems) are contained in two sheaths at the base of the leaves.

There are both plants and shrubs of the golden orchid, but the shrubs are the majority, with opposite and thick leaves and obvious stems. Although both the golden orchid and the orchid have fragrance, their appearances are very different, so they are naturally not the same kind of plants.

There are 15 species in the genus Chrysanthemi, including Anhui Chrysanthemi, Silk-spiked Chrysanthemi, Caviar, Silver-thread Grass, etc. One of the important signs to distinguish plants in the genus is the color of the connective. The connective is an organ of the flower, which refers to the part of the stamen that connects the two pollen sacs.

The number of the septa of the golden millet orchid is large and long, like a beautiful ribbon. The septa of the silk-spiked golden millet orchid is white, and the septa of the scarlet golden millet orchid is scarlet (bright crimson). This is also the origin of the name of the scarlet golden millet orchid.

On the left is the silk-spiked golden orchid, and on the right is the crimson golden orchid

Image source: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

【References】

1.Official website of Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

2. "Research Progress on Medicinal Plants of Chrysanthemiaceae in my country", Jiang Zerong, Guizhou Science, 2011.1

3. Paper "Comparative Study on the Morphology and Microscopic Identification of Leaves of Five Species of Chrysanthemi", CNKI; WanFang, 2013

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Author: Wei Deyong, member of Shenzhen Writers Association, Guangdong

Editor: Muzi