Diagram of the newly discovered orchid: Pleurothallis villahermosae.
A group of researchers from the Bogotá Botanical Garden confirmed this Thursday the discovery of a new species of orchid.
They have baptized
it Pleurothallis villahermosae
in recognition of the municipality of Villahermosa, Tolima, where the plant that measures barely one centimeter was found.
This new species joins the more than 4,400 varieties that exist in Colombia and confirms the country's leadership in the ranking of countries with the largest number of orchids in the world.
It is followed on the list by Ecuador and Costa Rica.
After several expeditions to the forests of the Azufrado River basin, very close to the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, three researchers discovered this new species of flower, which is the national emblem of Colombia.
“At higher altitudes there is greater diversity.
However, they are very difficult to see because they are very small flowers and it is an environment that is very difficult to access in the forest,” says an expert.
"The newly identified species has physical characteristics of great beauty and originality, as can be seen in the images captured by the researchers," explains a spokesperson for the Botanical Garden.
At this time, the morphological characteristics of the plant are being studied in the herbarium.
"This finding is highly relevant if we take into account that only one population of this species with few individuals is known," he adds.
The researchers have recommended evaluating the conservation status of the flower, since the low number of individuals observed could indicate threats to the species associated with factors such as deforestation and livestock.
“This plant is going to be part of conservation programs due to the few that exist.
By protecting this species, the entire forest is protected,” says orchid expert Luis Fernando Pérez.
The Botanical Garden is a scientific research center that is carrying out a mission throughout the Colombian territory with which it seeks to collect plant material.
During one of the outings they recently carried out as part of this plan, they came across this new species.
Pérez explains that, on the other hand, a revolution is currently taking place in Colombia in terms of research on this type of species.
The signing of the peace treaty between the Government and the FARC in 2016 has made it possible to revisit and investigate many parts of the country that were previously closed to almost anyone due to the armed conflict.
The future seems promising: “These plants have been populating the earth for millions of years, they arrived long before humans.
There are still thousands of species to discover,” says Pérez.
A study by the New York Botanical Garden confirms that they have been on Earth for more than 90 million years.
There are more species of orchids in the world than birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles combined.
Between 20,000 and 30,000 species make up the largest family of vascular plants on the planet.
However, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has warned that 80% of the species of one of the orchid genera that are distributed throughout the northern hemisphere is threatened with extinction.
Habitat destruction and collecting are behind the danger that chases these flowers.
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