A rare wild orchid species under second-class national protection in China, Eulophila zollingeri, commonly known as the carrion orchid, has recently been discovered for the first time in Heshan, a county-level city in Jiangmen.
The leafless, reddish-brown terrestrial orchid is classified as a partial mycoheterotroph. It relies on underground tubers and symbiotic fungi to obtain nutrients from decaying organic matter. As the species is difficult to cultivate artificially, it has been listed in Appendix II of CITES.
Highly sensitive to humidity, air circulation, soil conditions and fungal symbiosis, the carrion orchid is regarded as an indicator of high quality ecosystems. Its discovery in Heshan points to the area's improving ecological stability and environmental quality.
Since 2023, Heshan has intensified its ecological restoration efforts, completing 3,346 hectares of forest improvement and planting more than 4.3 million trees. The city now has 57,000 hectares of forest, with a forest coverage rate of 52.44 percent.
Author | Huang Xinying
Photo | Heshan Fabu
