COP15: Endangered purple flowers blossom in Mt. Gaoligong

A group of scientists discovered an endangered species, the purple flowers of Pedicularis humilis, in Mt. Gaoligong National Reserve of northwest Yunnan’s Baoshan City on Aug. 17.

Pedicularis humilis grows in alpine meadows and rhododendron bushes at an altitude of 3,000 to 3,200 meters. It is endemic to China and a rare plant listed as critically endangered (CR) species in Yunnan Biological Species Red List (2017 edition).

In 1913, George Forrest, a botanical collector from Royal Edinburgh Botanic Garden in UK, discovered the specimen in the Ruili River in west Yunnan for the first time. The flower was once thought to be extinct in the wild by botanical experts.

Researchers spotted this species in the southern section of Gaoligong Mountain again in August 2015. At that time, the distribution range was extremely narrow and the number was very rare.

The number almost tripled from 300 to 1,000 after six years, reflecting the achievements of well-preserved biodiversity in Mt. Gaoligong.

Reporting by Yang Yanpeng (Yunnan Daily app); Trans-editing by Mo Yingyi