New plant species discovered in Phong Dien Nature Reserve

Cập nhật lúc 09:40, Thứ tư, 19/01/2022 (GMT+7)

Fauna and flora experts have discovered a new plant species that is considered endangered (VU, D2) according to the IUCN Red List criteria and needs to be protected. That is good news for science, confirmed by Mr. Le Ngoc Tuan, Director of the Provincial Forest Protection Department on the afternoon of January 17.

Rare “Mỹ nhuỵ răng cưa” has just been discovered. Photo: Dinh Dien

Accordingly, in the survey program under the BCC-GEF project in Thua Thien Hue province, Mr. Tuan and his colleagues from the Central Institute of Scientific Research, University of Agriculture and Forestry (Hue University)... discovered and modeled to describe a new species of plant named “Mỹ nhuỵ răng cưa” (Deinostigma serratum) belongs to the genus “Mỹ nhuỵ” (Deinostigma WTWang & ZYLi) in Phong Dien Nature Reserve.

Deinostigma serratum was discovered growing on wet cliffs, waterfalls and stream banks near the area near Rao Trang River. This is a species with beautiful flowers, which should be preserved to create a beautiful landscape for the area. This new species has been described as morphologically similar to D. eberhardtii. However, it can be distinguished from all Deinostigma species by its serrated corolla margin, wider leaf blade, short margins and petioles, and smaller size of corolla.

The Deinostigma is an endemic genus in Vietnam with eight previously recognized species. “Mỹ nhuỵ răng cưa” is the 9th species all over the world and strengthens the evidence for the endemicity of this genus in Vietnam.

By Hoang Trieu