Orchidaceae is one of the largest families of angiosperms, known for its colorful, strongly symmetrical flowers and numerous powdery seeds. There are about 800 genera and more than 27,500 species of orchids in the world. China is one of the richest orchids in the world, with a total of 1,723 species of 200 genera and 1,723 species of Chinese orchids currently recorded, with a series of evolutionary groups from primitive to advanced.
Cypripedium palangshanense is a rare and endangered orchid endemic to China and belongs to the genus Cypripedium. In its type specimen collection area, Sichuan Wolong National Nature Reserve, it is also a very small population of wild plants distributed in a narrow area. Because of its unique and extremely secretive growth environment, the legend of "one top ten orchids" is spread in the mouths of orchid lovers.
Balang Mountain Orchid Cypripedium palangshanense
As a well-known habitat for wild giant pandas in China, Wolong Nature Reserve has the typical characteristics of the mountains in southwest China - high mountains and deep valleys, dense streams of tree-like water systems, from more than 1300 meters above sea level to nearly 4500 meters, all of which are well-preserved ecosystems such as primary forests, alpine meadows and alpine wetlands. The moisture of the stream and the shelter of the forest also provide excellent growing conditions for many orchids. Judging only from the distribution of the highly ornamental genus of Lycopodium, the famous Cypripedium henryi and C. rhododendron grow at low altitudes. debile), Balang Chamomile, C. Brachycephalus (C. Debile), C. flavum), grows at high altitudes the beloved C. flavum (C. flavum). franchetii), C. Franchetii, Tibet tibeticum）。
Cypripedium tibeticum
Looking back at the arduous process of China's plant field research, the discovery and naming of Balang Mountain Orchid is not easy to come by. In July 1930, two plant experts, Tang Jin and Wang Fayun from the China Jingsheng Biological Survey Institute, went deep into the mountains of southwest China, followed the Mabang along the Tea Horse Ancient Road, to the primitive forest area of Wolong in Sichuan, where ethnic minorities such as Tibet and Qiang lived, the geographical location was extremely remote, and the information was also extremely closed, and a new species of this wild orchid plant was first discovered in the Barang Mountain area, and a model specimen was collected and produced. In 1936, the global botanical community officially adopted the Latin scientific name "Cypripedium palangshanense T. Tang & F.T. Wang" (Chinese name: Barang Mountain Orchid) named after the combination of the discovery area and the discoverer. After the founding of New China, Chinese botanists successively discovered the very small sporadic distribution of Barang Mountain Orchid in Wanglang National Nature Reserve in Pingwu County, Sichuan, Huanglong National Nature Reserve in Songpan County, and Chengkou County, Chongqing City.
Balang Shanlan is also distributed in Wanglang National Nature Reserve, and in the blooming period of Balang Shanlan Orchid, the flowers are only the size of a finger, and the spoon-shaped lip flaps are all covered by bracts, which is particularly delicate and small.
The plants of Balang Mountain Orchid are short, nearly fleshy upright herbs with transverse rhizomes, with withered in winter and overwintered by underground buds. The plant is only 8–13 cm tall and the stem is 0.1–0.35 cm in diameter. It has 2 oppositely grown, flattened leaves, nearly round or nearly wide oval. The leaves have 3-5 main veins, but are not very clear; the front of the leaves is dark green, smooth, and appears to have a waxy membrane. Its capsules are spindle-shaped, green and densely covered with short hairs.
The Balang Mountain Orchid opens delicately, like a petite and shy elf by the stream under the forest in the mountains.
Because it prefers shade and humidity, the mountainside valley walls of deep mountain valleys and the shade of secondary hybrid trees are the growth environment of most wild orchids. However, even the growth environment and altitude of different species are very different for different species, such as Barang Mountain Orchid, Paraphyllum Orchid, Green Flower Orchid, and Tibetan Orchid, which are also belonging to the same genus of Lycopodium.
The natural environment in which balang mountain orchids grow: tall virgin forests shade the sun, babbling streams, warm and moist.
The Barang Shan Lan of Wolong Nature Reserve lives at an altitude of about 2700 meters above sea level, with tall virgin forests shaded by trees and shrublands, and trickling streams bring moist air. They grow in the Parasenecio community, which is known as the Arachnidaceae (P. roborowskii) is predominantly , with a small number of broad-stemmed crab beetles ( P. lophobra ) . latipes) and P. triangular-leaved crab beetle deltophyllus) scattered in it. Crab beetle communities are always distributed on the slopes immediately opposite the stream. As the slope gradually rises, the upper part of it grows abies fargesii var. Faxoniana is a coniferous forest dominated by coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests consisting of Minjiang fir, Tsuga chinensis, Betula utilis, Fargesia nitida and rhododendrons.
Like other plants of the genus Orchid, each flower of the Balang Mountain Orchid has a spherical hood-shaped lip flap, which is really amazing to the magic of nature, and it has always been praised as "the slippers of the goddess floating on earth". And this slipper-like pocket is actually a specially configured "trap", as long as the insect enters the trap, it can only follow the preset route and escape from the exit at the other end. Limited by the size of the flowers and the size of the entrance, insects simply cannot return the same way. In the process of escaping, the insects will rub the pollen on the back of the orchid, and when they successfully escape, they will inadvertently help the Balang orchid to complete pollination. Of course, these deceptive pollinator flowers should not be 100% successful, and some of the flowers of the Balang Mountain Orchid have quietly withered after blooming without waiting for the help of insects.
"The slippers of the goddess floating on earth".
Studies have shown that the extinction of one plant will cause the loss of 10-30 other organisms, and many very small populations of plants are key species in natural ecosystems, and once extinct, they may trigger a chain effect until the stability of natural ecosystems is broken, resulting in immeasurable and serious consequences. As a fragile, very small population of wild plants, once its habitat is destroyed, petite plants lose the shelter of tall trees or shrubs and are exposed to sunlight, making it difficult to survive. At present, Balang Shanlan has been included in the "National Plan for the Rescue and Protection of Wild Plants with Extremely Small Populations".
The barang mountain orchid, which has just grown light green flower buds, looks particularly young and fresh.
Balang mountain orchid seedlings.
The Sichuan Wolong National Nature Reserve, established in 1963, gave the most basic survival guarantee for the survival of wild plants such as the very small population of Balang Shan lan. According to the statistical results of the special survey of Balang Mountain Orchid plants carried out in 2018 and 2019 in Sichuan Wolong Nature Reserve, the area suitable for the growth of Barang Mountain Orchid is about 66 square kilometers, but its population is only about 200 plants. Therefore, it is particularly important to protect the complete forest ecosystem and maintain the habitat of wild plant groups such as the barang mountain orchid. At present, the latest ecological protection redline has demarcated the habitat of the Balang mountain orchid distribution, strictly prohibited grazing and outdoor hiking and other activities, effectively eliminated human interference, and protected habitat vegetation. Wolong Nature Reserve and researchers from all walks of life will also continue to carry out relevant research and conservation work to promote the beauty of the delicate species spirit of Balang Shanlan to continue to rejuvenate on the blue planet.
(News source: China Wild Plants WeChat public account Editor Wang Qiang)