Anoectochilus roxburghii, a wild plant under State second-level protection, is discovered in Wucheng district, Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang province, on Aug 15. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]
Anoectochilus roxburghii was discovered at the Nanshan Mountain Provincial Nature Reserve in Wucheng district, Jinhua, East China's Zhejiang province, on Aug 15, which appropriately is the first National Ecological Day in China, according to local media reports.
This is the first recorded distribution point for wild Anoectochilus roxburghii within the reserve and adds to the reserve's existing records of protected endangered plant populations, such as the water shield plant.
The discovery was made by a botanical survey team led by Yi Xiangui, an associate professor from Nanjing Forestry University. Yi said that biodiversity is crucial for human well-being as it forms the foundation for human survival and development, adding that the discovery indicates that Jinhua's ecological conservation efforts are bearing fruit.
A wild plant under State second-level protection, Anoectochilus roxburghii has long had a reputation as the "king of medicine" in local folklore.
The plant thrives in a harsh environment and possesses medicinal properties such as clearing heat, cooling blood, dispelling wind, promoting diuresis, detoxification, pain relief, and cough suppression.
