Sichuan online reporter Wang Daiqiang
Huidong Cuckoo. Photo by Peng Jiaxing
Not long ago, the locals of Huidong County, Liangshan Prefecture, found about 3,000 partial or sporadic Pieces of Huidong Rhododendron in Laojuntan Township, Huidong County, and were confirmed by experts from many scientific research units such as the Sichuan Academy of Forestry And the Huaxia Alpine Botanical Garden of the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This rhododendron genus is unique to huidong and can be called the "giant panda" in rhododendron from the perspective of species protection. What kind of ecological code is hidden behind the East Cuckoo?
Yellow-green leaves, large red bell-shaped petals. The reporter recently saw that the biggest difference in appearance between the Huidong rhododendron and the ordinary rhododendron found this time is that the leaf back has loose star-like hairs and leaf-like bud bracts.
In the large family of angiosperms, rhododendron is a large genus, with about 960 species worldwide. There are about 570 species in China, except for Xinjiang and Ningxia, which have no record of wild rhododendron distribution, and other provinces. In Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet, the distribution of rhododendrons accounts for about 80% of all species in the country, and is the distribution center and differentiation center of rhododendrons in the world.
In 2016, Geng Yuying, an expert in rhododendron research at the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhang Chao and Wang Fei, experts of the Huaxia Alpine Botanical Garden, and Dr. Ma Wenbao of the Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences, went to Huidong County to investigate, and found a rhododendron in a village in The town of Miaotang, which is distributed on the mountain at an altitude of 2800-3000 meters, and the flowering period is from May to June. "These rhododendrons are distributed in an area of less than 0.5 square kilometers, with a total of only more than 200 plants surveyed, and there are few seedlings in the wild, and the self-renewal ability is extremely low." Zhang Chao introduced that after field investigation and verification of the morphological characteristics of the plant, the researchers agreed that the species was huidong rhododendron.
At present, after the verification of a large number of specimens across the country and repeated field investigations of the natural distribution area of rhododendron in Sichuan Province, researchers have found that Huidong rhododendron is only distributed in Huidong County.
Rhododendrons prefer acidic soils, so soilologists often use rhododendrons as an indicator crop for acidic soils. "From the perspective of species conservation, the value of the Huidong cuckoo is comparable to that of the giant panda." Zhang Chao said that Huidong rhododendron is one of the few species in the rhododendron genus that blooms late, and is a potential excellent germplasm resource for cultivating rhododendron late-flowered varieties.
"On May 9, we carried out a survey of rhododendron germplasm resources in Liangshan Prefecture at the Dafengding National Nature Reserve in Meigu County, and after learning the news of the newly discovered large number of Huidong rhododendrons, we immediately adjusted the itinerary and rushed to Huidong to confirm." Ma Wenbao said that this is a small shrub, the overall growth is normal, but due to the local climate drought, some rhododendron leaves appear sunburn phenomenon, but also some diseases and insect pests occur.
More than 200 plants were discovered 5 years ago, why are so many suddenly found now? Experts believe that the biggest factor is that in recent years, the scope of investigation of rhododendron germplasm resources has been wider, the means have been more abundant, and the investigation has become more detailed. The area was not covered by previous expeditions, so the cuckoos were not found. "Rhododendron growth rate is very slow, under wild environmental conditions, 3-5 years old rhododendron seedlings can grow more than 10 cm tall, and this newly discovered Huidong rhododendron height has reached 1.5-2 meters, there is no trace of disturbance." Ma Wenbao said that between the newly discovered site of Huidong Rhododendron and the site of discovery in 2016, whether there is still a distribution of germplasm resources of Huidong Rhododendron needs to be further investigated in detail.
On May 12, when the expedition team went to Huidong again to investigate the Huidong rhododendron, they accidentally found a large number of peach-leaved rhododendrons, which is a new distribution of rhododendrons in the wild in Sichuan Province.
The reporter learned that since the discovery of more than 200 Huidong rhododendrons in 2016, the forestry and grassland department of Huidong County has delineated a special protected area, and local towns and villages have also taken a series of measures to monitor the growth of Huidong rhododendrons and the vegetation and environment of the location in real time. For the 3,000 Huidong rhododendrons found this time, corresponding protective measures have also been taken.
"Huidong rhododendron is a native plant with high development value, and the Huidong rhododendron conservation community can be established for in situ protection, or the seeds can be collected for ex situ protection in an off-site suitable for its growth." Ma Wenbao suggested.