Here is a new discovery!!!

On September 7, the reporter learned from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences that the garden and the Tibet Autonomous Region Plateau Biology Research Institute and other units recently published 8 new Chinese record species and 1 new Tibetan record genus in the domestic core journal "Biodiversity" under the title "New Data on Seed Plant Flora in Tibet, China". This achievement is of great significance to the research on biodiversity conservation in Tibet.

The pictures are: 1. Jilong milkweed; 2. Taji palm; 3. Kashi bee butter; 4. Convolvulus tinctorius; 5. Jilong horn orchid; 6. Nepal passionflower; 7. Oval spike ginger flower; 8. Southern Tibetan ivory ginseng; 9. Ivory ginseng; 10. Arrowroot vine. Image source: Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

It is understood that the southern slope of the Himalayas in Tibet has rich and unique plant resources. The famous "Five Himalayan Valleys", namely Yadong Valley, Chentang Valley, Gama Valley, Zhangmu Valley and Jilong Valley, are distributed in this area. Due to the input of warm and humid air currents from the Indian Ocean, a unique vegetation landscape with rich biodiversity has been formed here.

On July 17, 2021, the joint expedition team conducted field surveys and collections in Jilong Valley. Image source: Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

According to the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2021, with the cooperation of the forestry and grassland departments of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the garden and the Institute of Plateau Biology of the Tibet Autonomous Region carried out plant diversity surveys and collections, and collected wild plant specimens in Jilong Valley, Zhangmu Valley and Chentang Valley. In the process of sorting and identifying the collected specimens, researchers found that eight species of plants, including Jilong milk vegetable, Taki palm, Kashi bee butterwort, Convolvulus tinctorius, Jilong horn orchid, Nepal passionflower, ellipsoid ginger flower, and southern Tibetan ivory ginseng, were new Chinese records distributed in Tibet, and the genus of arrowroot vine was a new record genus in Tibet. At the same time, the distribution of ivory ginseng in China was also confirmed.

The corresponding author of the paper, Xing Yaowu, a researcher at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that this plant survey has enriched the flora data and is of great significance to the research on biodiversity conservation in Tibet.

Source: People's Daily Comprehensive Xinhua Viewpoint (Reporter Zhuang Beining)

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