Biodiversity monitors discover extremely rare Glabrous Itoa tree in Lincang, Yunnan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A critically endangered wild tree species, Itoa orientalis var. glabrescens, also known as the Glabrous Itoa, has been discovered in Yunnan province.The Fengqing management branch of the Lancang River Provincial Nature Reserve in Lincang found the species during routine biodiversity monitoring in evergreen broad-leaved forests at an altitude of about 2,000 meters. Follow-up surveys identified three distribution sites within the reserve, where more than 100 individual trees have been recorded. The tallest specimen measures nearly 30 meters tall with a trunk circumference of almost one meter.          

Biodiversity monitors discover extremely rare Glabrous Itoa tree in Lincang, Yunnan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

This species belongs to the Salicaceae family. The primary distinction of this variant is its nearly hairless to completely hairless leaf undersides and petioles, with leaves generally smaller than those of the original species. It has an extremely restricted natural range, found only sporadically in the montane evergreen broadleaf forests of southwestern China. It faces numerous challenges, such as habitat fragmentation, low reproductive capacity, poor seed germination rates, heavy logging, and the impacts of global climate change.    

Biodiversity monitors discover extremely rare Glabrous Itoa tree in Lincang, Yunnan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Due to its rarity, the Glabrous Itoa has been classified as critically endangered by both the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species and the Threatened Species List of China's Higher Plants, as published in the journal Biodiversity Science.

Biodiversity monitors discover extremely rare Glabrous Itoa tree in Lincang, Yunnan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]