A rare fern species, the Psilotum nudum (whisk fern), has been discovered for the first time in Yunfu, Guangdong, southern China.
Known as one of the world's oldest vascular plants, it is rarely seen in the wild in Guangdong. The plant, dating back over 300 million years to the Devonian period, was found by teachers and students of Luoding Overseas Chinese Secondary School.
Psilotum nudum (Photo: Convergence Media Center of Luoding County-level City)
Yunfu's rich and well-preserved ecosystems, including mountains, rivers, and forests, provide an ideal environment for diverse plants and wildlife. In addition to the Psilotum nudum, recent discoveries also include Keteleeria cyclolepis, Glyptostrobus pensilis (Chinese swamp cypress), and Eulophia zollingeri (commonly known as the carrion orchid), all protected plant species.
Natural scenery of Yunfu (Photo: Nanfang Plus)
Glyptostrobus pensilis (Photo: Nanfang Plus)
Yunfu is also home to various rare wildlife such as leopard cats, red junglefowls, silver pheasants, red-billed leiothrix, and Chinese hwameis, reflecting significant improvements in local biodiversity and wildlife habitat conservation efforts.
(Photo: Nanfang Plus)
Author: Huang Xinying
Editor: Liu Lingzhi, James, Shen He, Zhang Ying
