Corybas sinii and Corybas himalaicus discovered in Tengchong, Yunnan

Source: InKunming | 2020-07-21 | Editor:Christine

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Corybas sinii (Photo by Wang Huichun/Xinhua)

Corybas sinii and Corybas himalaicus were found in Gaoligong Mountain system of Yunnan Province recently.

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Corybas sinii (Photo by Wang Huichun/Xinhua)

Sun Weibang, a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and director of Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, said that the two species of Corybas were recorded for the first time in Tengchong.

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Corybas sinii (Photo by Wang Huichun/Xinhua)

According to the local forest ranger, the site where the Corybas sinii was found is not within the nature reserve and is easily interfered by human activities. Therefore, Sun Weibang’s team suggested setting up local protected plots and conducting research on captive breeding to expand Corybas sinii’s population.

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Corybas sinii (Photo by Wang Huichun/Xinhua)

“There are six species of Corybas in China, which are of great scientific value,” Sun Weibang introduced. With the discovery of Corybas sinii and Corybas himalaicus, three species of Corybas have been found in the southern section of Gaoligong Mountain, including Corybas taliensis.

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Corybas sinii (Photo by Wang Huichun/Xinhua)

Corybas is a ground herb seldom epiphytic and only has a single leaf and one flower, with only a few centimeters in height. Corybas sinii and Corybas himalaicus generally grow together on moss or dead wood. It is estimated that the population of the found Corybas himalaicus is more than 20,000 and that of Corybas sinii is 700.

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