Recognize a new species of Vanilla orchid for Vietnamese flora

Dr. Dinh Quang Diep - Faculty of Environment and Resources - Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh said in 2011 he and a number of partners including TS. Tran Hop, KS. Tran Gioi (Khanh Hoa Forestry Department) and Biodiversity Group (Hon Ba Nature Reserve) found a Vanilla orchid in a strange shape during a survey in Hon Ba Nature Reserve . Through monitoring, research and research, the team determined that this could be a new Vanilla orchid species in Vietnam.

Vanilla orchid is found at altitudes above 200m. This orchid body is in the form of vines, trunk diameter of 7-8mm, about 3-4m long and branched, bearing many leaves with thick elliptical plates, each with size about 15-20cm in length and 6-9cm width.

However, at that time, the team could not identify this orchid because the flower was not found. Continuing to monitor, recently, on April 12, 2012, Mr. Ho Ngoc Quynh, an officer of Hon Ba Nature Reserve, discovered this Vanilla orchid is blooming.

According to observations, trees with flowers of 4-6cm long with 4 flowers, radios and petals are green and yellow, and the lips of purple and red flowers are very charming. Big flowers have a diameter of about 3.5 - 4cm, have a fragrant smell and do not fully bloom like other Vanilla orchids.

After receiving the information and images provided by Hon Ba Nature Reserve, the research team searched for information on Vanilla orchid species and consulted Prof. Dr. Ph.D. Leonid V. Averyanov (Russian Academy of Sciences), the world's leading expert on Vietnamese orchids.

According to Prof. Dr. LV Averyanov, this is Vanilla shenzhenica ZJLiu & SCChen was discovered and described in Shenzhen (South China) in 2007. In some previous documents about Vietnam spread like that of TS. Gunnar Seidenfaden (1992), GS. Pham Hoang Ho (1993) and GS. Tran Hop (1998) or Prof. Dr. LV Averyanov (2003) have not mentioned the presence of this orchid species. It can be confirmed that this is the first time this Vanilla orchid has been recorded in Vietnam. Currently, experts are conducting final sampling and inspection.

Vanilla orchid has a scientific name of Vanilla. Around the world there are about 70 Vanilla orchids, most of them growing in the tropics. Up to now, Vanilla shenzhenica is the fifth vanilla orchid species recorded in Vietnam after 4 species of leafless vanilla (Vanilla aphylla), Vanilla white (Vanilla albida), Vanilla annamica (Vanilla annamica) and Vanilla pierre ( Vanilla pierrei) was Professor. Pham Hoang Ho noted (1993).