Gaby
The flower with “glass-like” petals was named Spiranthes hachijoensis, honoring the genus Spiranthes and Hachijo Island (Tokyo Prefecture), where researchers found it. The white-pink petals of this previously unknown orchid are so delicate they look as if they were woven from glass.
Unfamiliar plants often hide where researchers least expect them: parks, gardens, even pots on balconies. That was the case here. The find is a reminder that unknown species can be growing right under our noses, the team wrote in the Journal of Plant Research.
Previously, three species of the Spiranthes genus had been identified in Japan: S. australis, S. sinensis, and S. hongkongensis.
Orchids in this genus are commonly called “ladies’ tresses” because their tiny, bell-shaped flowers spiral around a central stem like wavy strands of hair. They can be white, pink, purple, or yellow, CNN reports.
Globally, there are about 50 species of Spiranthes. They thrive in Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas, typically in regions with temperate or tropical climates. In Japan, Spiranthes have been known for centuries.
Kenji Suecugu, a Kobe University professor and the study’s lead author, said Spiranthes are among the best-known orchids in Japan and have been cultivated there for centuries. He noted that flowers of this genus appear in Japan’s oldest poetry anthology, compiled in 759 AD. So his team was thrilled to find a new Spiranthes during field research.
The color of the Spiranthes hachijoensis orchids ranges from purplish-pink to white, with petal lengths of about 3–4 mm.
Morphologically, the species is closely related to S. hongkongensis, but morphological differences and genetic analyses confirm that it is distinct. Besides Tokyo Prefecture, the researchers found these “glass” flowers in several other regions of Japan.
Finding a new plant species in Japan is rare because the country’s flora is so well documented. Professor Suecugu said the announcement will likely spark interest in this flower, which is much less common than other Spiranthes.
There are about 28,000 orchid species worldwide.
