Kunming, July 22 -- A Chinese orchid species declared extinct has been rediscovered in the wild in Yunnan Province, southwest China, marking a landmark breakthrough in biodiversity conservation, according to scientists.
Researchers from the Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland Sciences identified a population of approximately 50 Eulophia monantha plants during a field survey in Xinping County. The discovery is the first confirmed sighting of the rare orchid since its initial documentation 112 years ago.
British botanist George Forrest originally collected the species near Yunnan's Dali in 1913. Having vanished for over 100 years without further records, the plant was officially classified as extinct in China's 2013 Biodiversity Re...