New species of 'immortal herb' discovered

A team of Chinese researchers have identified a new species of dendrobium, a genus of orchids known locally as shihu, in Ya'an, Sichuan province. The discovery was published recently in the botanical journal Phytotaxa.

Dendrobium, the second-largest genus in the orchid family, primarily consists of epiphytic plants that grow on other plants. They are prized in China as one of the "immortal herbs", valued for their health benefits.

The new species, named "Hongbin dendrobium" (Dendrobium hongbin), honors Yang Hongbin, director of the International Dendrobium Research and Development Center in Chengdu and leader of the research team.

The team discovered the orchid during a field survey in May 2023 in Ya'an, where it was found thriving on the trunks of broadleaved trees that grow on the rocks and cliffs at altitudes of 1,000 to 1,500 meters.

The plant features short, slender stems and small white flowers. Initially resembling Dendrobium moniliforme, the new species was confirmed through morphological comparisons and molecular analysis conducted in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Forestry.

"This is an exciting discovery, but so far, we have only found two clusters of the species, separated by more than 4 kilometers, with fewer than 10 mature individuals," Yang said.

Globally, there are more than 1,500 dendrobium species, with about 80 found in China, according to Yang.

Established in 2021, the Chengdu-based dendrobium center is one of the world's largest germplasm research institutions for dendrobium, housing 1,097 species.