/Photographed by Helen Lin
Will there be rare plants in the wetland?
On July 31, 2021, I unexpectedly encountered many rare plants in an alpine wetland in Ninghai: wild water lilies, thread-leaf jade phoenix, East Asian Glossoptera , round-leaved sundew , and small-leaf bamboo shoots wait.
Such strange plant species can be hidden in wetlands, which gave me great inspiration.
There is a similar alpine wetland on Siming Mountain in Yuyao. If you search carefully, you will surely find some unexpected special species. Since my previous impressions of wetland plants were all composed of Gramineae , Cyperaceae , Rushaceae, Celanaceae and other weeds, there were no rare species of plants, so I have never done any research on these plants. Weeds are surveyed too carefully.
So on August 11, 2021, I made a special trip to visit this wetland on Siming Mountain in Yuyao. This time I conducted a carpet-like inspection of wetland plants with full confidence, and as expected, I also discovered a lot of flowering phoenixes and Orchids.
2021 Preliminary Harvest
When a plant blooms in the weeds, it is obvious at a glance. On the contrary, it is quite difficult to find orchid plants that have not bloomed in the weeds.
I have always been lucky, and now I have found a new species of orchid that has already produced fruit! This is an orchid that I have never seen before, and it grows in patches. The number of plants exceeds 100, which is extremely exciting.
I collected plants with fruits and took them home for identification. The preliminary identification result was that the genus Fire Orchid pointed-leaf Fire Orchid , However, because the flowering period has passed, the exact species cannot be confirmed. I can only wait until the flowering period next year. in conclusion.
According to the "Flora of Zhejiang" records, the flowering period of the pointed-leaf orchid is June to July. was a new recorded species in Zhejiang at that time. was only found in Tiantai and Linhai, which shows its rarity.
I will visit again in 2022 and luckily find a new record
In order not to miss the flowering period of the pointed-leaf orchid, I visited this alpine wetland many times in the first half of this year.
finally took photos of flowers that have just entered the flowering stage on June 19th. Comparing the characteristics of the flowers with the description of the pointed-leaf fire orchid, the characteristics of the two are basically consistent.
As a result, a new member of the Orchidaceae has been added to Ningbo . The 55th orchid plant in Ningbo, the pointed-leaved fire orchid, has finally been confirmed!
A close-up of the inflorescence of the pointed-leaf burning orchid, the 55th orchid plant in Ningbo, taken on June 19, 2022
A close-up of the inflorescence of the pointed-leaf burning orchid
There are usually more than 10 flowers on the inflorescence of the pointed-leaf burning orchid
It has not yet entered the flowering period
tip The vitality of the pointed-leaf orchids seems to be particularly strong. They grow continuously in relatively dry areas of the wetland, accompanying tall and strong weeds such as grasses.
The habitat of the pointed-leaf orchid: it is in the company of grasses and other weeds
I picked up a pointed-leaf orchid and found that its underground rhizomes are very developed, so they mainly rely on vegetative reproduction to expand the population. scale.
A close-up of the underground rhizome of the pointed-leaf orchid, the horizontally long rhizome is the main way of reproduction
A close-up of the underground rhizome of the pointed-leaf orchid
The whole pointed-leaf orchid may be like a moso bamboo forest, which is essentially a plant , like the state of "a single tree becomes a forest". This is very similar to the behavior of thatch . It turns out that orchids can also become common weeds growing in patches, which is eye-opening.
The rhizome of the pointed-leaf fire orchid is so developed, This is somewhat different from the thick and short rhizome described in "Floana of Zhejiang". I think it may be because this orchid is very rare, and people's research and observation of it are not very detailed.
Morphological characteristics of the pointed-leaf orchid (actual measurement)
The plant of the pointed-leaf orchid is relatively tall and extensive, reaching a height of 40-60cm.There are 8-10 leaves, ovate-lanceolate, about 10cm long and 3-4cm wide. There is no petiole, the base of the leaves hugs the stem, the lower leaves are sheath-shaped, and the upper leaves become smaller and bract-shaped. The leaves have more than 10 arc-shaped main veins with protrusions on both sides, and there are 2-3 fine veins between the main veins. The whole leaf is dark green and wrinkled, which is very recognizable.
Close-up of the leaves: there are many and obvious arc-shaped veins.
It has just entered the initial flowering stage, and the open flowers are drooping.
Its racemes are born on the top of the branches. The number of flowers ranges from 1 to 20, most of which are more than 10. The bracts are well developed and have the same shape as the leaves, usually longer than the pedicel and connected to the ovary. The flowers are yellow-green and droop slightly after opening. The three outer sepals are almost the same green color, about 10mm long and 3-4mm wide. The petals on both sides are golden yellow, slightly wider than the sepals, and the lower lip is purple. The golden petals contrast sharply with the purple lips, and this combination of flower centers may have strong visual appeal to the pollinator .
Aphid flies are active on the flowers
The lip structure of the pointed-leaf fire orchid is relatively complex and is divided into two parts: the upper lip and the lower lip. There is an obvious joint between the upper lip and the lower lip. The upper lip is oblong in shape. There are 3-5 longitudinal corona protrusions on the upper surface. Most of the protrusions are purple, and there are orange-yellow patches, which are brightly colored. There is a triangular lobe on each side of the lower lip, with purple veins on the inner surface. The lateral lobes are upright and surround the bottom of the lower lip. There are a large number of yellow nectaries at the bottom of the lower lip.
Enlarged picture of the pointed-leaf burning orchid flower: There is a joint between the upper lip and the lower lip of the labium
Flower: The upper lip and the side lobes of the lower lip form a pocket-shaped flower center
Close-up of the lower lip of the labium: at the center There are many orange-yellow nectaries distributed.
The upper lip of the lip has a comb-shaped protrusion and orange-yellow patches.
Side view of the flower: The lower lip of the lip has upright lobes, forming a pocket.
The lower lip of the lip. The lobes are triangular in shape, with purple veins
and the stamens are about 6mm long. The medicine cap at the top is pink-green, and there are 2 pollen blocks below. The pollen blocks are sessile and powdery, which is different from that of ordinary orchid plants. The pollen pieces are obviously different, but are consistent with the stamens of Julans and Shoucao , which also grow in the wetland. There are significant wart-like protrusions on both sides of the stigma.
Close-up of the stamen column: The stamens at the top are pink-green.
Close-up of the stamen column: The stamens at the top have 2 pollen blocks. The pollen blocks are stalkless and granular.
The fruit is about 2cm long, oblong in shape, and mature. Sometimes it droops, the chamber does not twist, and the fruit has no twisting characteristics.
Close-up of the capsule: the fruit is not twisted, about 2cm in length
Close-up of the capsule, the fruit is not twisted, about 2cm in length The flowers of the orchid are medium-sized in the orchid family and appear to be average in appearance when viewed in the wild. However, the structure of its flowers is very delicate, and the colors are rich and beautiful. Only after magnification can you see the subtleties.
There are many companion plants of the pointed-leaf fire orchid, most of which are common weeds such as Gramineae, Cyperaceae, and Rushaceae. The species that bloom at this time include Hemerocallis , Purple calyx , and Skeletonema, etc.
Companion plants: Hemerocallis
Companion plants: Scallops
Companion plants: Purple calyx
Author's opinion
Orchid plants are very rare. The appearance of each new orchid plant species will contribute to the biodiversity of the area. The sexual indicator adds a touch of color.
I look forward to more orchid plants in Ningbo that will continue to appear in front of me. This may be a great reward for my long-term search. At the same time, we also hope that such alpine wetlands will not be developed and destroyed, so that this rare orchid can continue to thrive.
June 29, 2022
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About the author: Lin Helen, director of the Ningbo Municipal Drug Control Institute, a traditional Chinese medicine pharmacist, has been paying attention to the study of Ningbo's native animal and plant resources for more than 30 years, and found that He has passed through a large number of rare species and has been committed to science popularization work for a long time.
