Researcher discovers new orchid species within the mountains of Tanzania

Bayreuth biologist PD Dr. Andreas Hemp has found a beforehand unknown orchid species of the genus Rhipidoglossum in northeastern Tanzania. Collectively together with his British colleague Dr. Phil Cribb from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London, he has scientifically described it within the journal Kew Bulletin. The brand new species was named Rhipidoglossum pareense, in line with its location within the South Pare Mountains.

Probably the most placing function of the newly found orchid, which is only some centimeters tall, is its white flowers. If the orchid is held in opposition to the daylight, the flowers seem to glisten. The flowers are smaller however extra quite a few than these of the closest associated orchid species, Rhipidoglossum leedalii. The inflorescence is far more compact and resembles that of a lily of the valley. Rhipidoglossum pareense grows in cloud forest at an altitude above 1,500 meters, the place it was found by Dr. Andreas Hemp throughout analysis work. The bushes right here solely attain a peak of ten meters and are densely lined with mosses, ferns and orchids. Rhipidoglossum pareense additionally belongs to those epiphytes.

“The now found orchid species most likely owes its existence to the very uncommon weather conditions. Within the cloud forests of the South Pare Mountains, though it usually rains solely 700 millimeters a yr, there’s additionally the fog precipitation, which is 2 to a few occasions this quantity. This mountainous area in northeastern Tanzania is really a botanical El Dorado. Not too long ago, I additionally found a brand new species of acanthus right here, and the taxonomic description might be revealed quickly,” says PD Dr. Andreas Hemp from the Division of Plant Systematics on the College of Bayreuth.

In the midst of his research on the biodiversity and ecology of African forests, the Bayreuth biologist has established vegetation examine plots on quite a few mountains. On every plot, he has utterly recorded and documented the species composition of the vegetation. In complete, the ensuing database now includes a number of thousand vegetation information. Typical of all tropical mountain rainforests are the epiphytes, which play an vital position in water stability and biodiversity.

“A whole lot of luck is concerned find such small epiphytes because the newly found orchid: If it had not bloomed on the proper time, it will definitely have gone unnoticed,” says Hemp. Within the neighboring Tanzanian Nguru Mountains, which just like the South Pare Mountains belong to the Jap Arc Mountain chain, he discovered one other beforehand unknown orchid species from the massive genus Polystachya throughout his latest analysis go to.

Internationally, the main specialist on orchids in East Africa is Dr. Phil Cribb of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London. He’s the writer of the orchid identification volumes of the “Flora of Tropical East Africa.”

“After I couldn’t clearly establish the orchid found within the South Pare Mountains utilizing these volumes, I requested him for his experience. Collectively we then described the brand new species and likewise selected the identify Rhipidoglossum pareense,” stories Hemp, who visits the herbarium on the botanic backyard in Kew a minimum of yearly.

“The herbarium at Kew comprises the world’s most complete assortment of crops from East Africa. The long-standing collaboration with the excellent connoisseurs of African flora there’s a helpful assist and all the time a stimulus for my very own analysis work. Such complete collections, which doc vegetation from earlier many years and centuries, are indispensable for present biodiversity analysis,” says the Bayreuth plant systematist.