t had not been seen in the United Kingdom since 2009. A sample of the ghost orchid, the “Holy Grail” of plant lovers, has just been discovered. Its location is now being kept secret to prevent poachers from getting hold of it, reports The Guardian.
The ghost orchid, the “Holy Grail of British botanists”
Considered one of the rarest plants in the world, a ghost orchid was discovered in August by British dentist, orchid enthusiast and member of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, Richard Bate.
A consecration for this plant lover who spent 30 years searching the dark and deep forests of England in the mad hope of coming across a specimen of ghost orchid. Because seeing one, just once in your life, is an incredible chance.
“The ghost orchid has long been the holy grail of British botanists. There was a brief flurry of records in the 1960s and 1970s, and I was lucky enough to see a specimen in the mid-1980s,” Professor Ian Denholm, national orchid expert at the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, told The Guardian. “Since then, I think only six people have knowingly observed it in the wild in Britain. It’s wonderful news that it has reappeared and let’s hope it does again.”
“This is an exceptional discovery by Richard and a fitting reward for his years of painstaking research,” said Dr Kevin Walker, chief scientist at the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. “Anyone who has tried and failed to discover this enigmatic plant knows how clever and lucky it takes to find it. They are incredibly difficult to spot in the leaf litter and often only last a few hours or days, being eagerly preyed upon by everything from slugs to deer.” Scientists are now working to protect the recovered specimen from predators, The Guardian reports. Its precise location is also being kept secret to protect it from poachers or just curious onlookers who might trample it and damage its roots while looking at it.
An orchid that often hides in forest floors
The ghost orchid gets its name from its bright, almost supernatural white hue. It has no leaves or chlorophyll, The Guardian reports, and therefore cannot photosynthesize. To survive, it feeds mainly on nutrients from underground fungi and, not needing sunlight, generally grows in the soil. It only rises to flower, but only if the right conditions are met. That’s why it’s so rare to see one.
In England, the ghost orchid was first spotted in 1854, in the county of Herefordshire. It would be spotted again in the country a few dozen times over the next 170 years. In the UK, it usually grows in dark beech or oak forests but has been spotted under pine trees elsewhere in Europe.
“Knowing that the ghost orchid is still here and has not disappeared from Britain gives me great hope for the future of this species,” concludes plant lover Richard Bate. “This discovery reminds us that even in the darkest of woods, there is always hope.”
This article is originally published on geo.fr
