The label “Gastrodia agnicelus” – “Agglist Orchid in the World” – is one of the newly described plants and fungi of the year, researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cave (RBG Cave) have announced
Orchids, Located In Madagascar, there are no leaves, the wool grows from the stalk of the tuber, And spends most of its life underground, arising only to bear flowers or fruit.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, John Harmans, the orchid researcher behind the discovery, told CNN on Thursday.
Still, he said: “It’s not very attractive, I must say – it looks fleshy, red on the inside and brown on the outside.”
Hermanus, an honorary research associate with RBG, said, “We first saw it in a seed pod. A few years later we went back and discovered the same area, and tried to find a brown flower on a brown leaf litter, and we finally found it.” Cave, explained.
“It was hidden at the base of the tree, and you had to remove the leaves to find out where the plant was,” he added.
The researchers thought the strange-looking plant could smell like rotten flesh, as is common in some orchids pollinated by flies, but instead, the orchids surprised them with a “pleasant, citrus, rose-scent,” Herman said.
“This orchid has got a beautiful life cycle – it has got an ool tuber on the ground, no leaves, and the flower grows slightly under the leaf litter.
“It opens a little bit, it fertilizes and bears fruit from the seed and actually it picks itself up on a stanch about 20 centimeters (9.) inches) long, then it opens the seed and distributes it.”
Some 156 plants and fungi from around the world were discovered and named by RBG Cave and partners in 2020, including thorny leaf plants of southern Namibia, relatives of blueberries found in New Guinea, and a variety of new hibiscus in the variety Australia.
But many of such plants are in danger of extinction due to threats to their habitat, RBG KA warned on Thursday.
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