Orchidaceae is the "flagship" group among plants under protection. More than two-thirds of orchids in China are in a rare and endangered state. There are about 400 wild orchids in Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province. Great efforts have been invested in seed collection and artificial cultivation of endangered orchid species by scientists at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden (XTBG). As the country enters late spring, some 100 species of orchids have started blooming in the botanic garden showing the diverse beauty of flowers in the orchid family. 

Leptotes bicolor. /Photo by ZHU Renbin 

Vandopsis gigantea. /Photo by ZHU Renbin Renbin 

Calanthe triplicata (Willem) Ames. /Photo by YANG Zhen 

Cluster of dendrobium chrysotoxum covered in mist. /Photo by MO Haibo 

Phaius tancarvilleae. /Photo by ZHU Renbin 

Paphiopedilum concolor. /Photo by ZHU Renbin 

Goodyera procera. /Photo by ZHu Renbin 

Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum. /Photo by ZHU Renbin 

(ZHU Renbin, MO Haibo and YANG Zhen are all from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden.) 

 URL: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-04-13/Orchids-burst-into-diverse-blossom-in-SW-China-PEm0tGGBVK/index.html