In July 2025, staff from the Malipo County Forestry and Grassland Administration in Wenshan, Yunnan, came across a patch of peculiarly shaped flowering plants in woodland near Jinpin Village Group, Daba Village Committee, Xiajinchang Township, Malipo County. Following identification by forestry technicians and experts from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the plants were confirmed to be Cypripedium subtropicum S. C. Chen & K. Y. Lang—a nationally first-class protected species—marking its first recorded discovery in Malipo County.
Field surveys revealed a wild community of these orchids spanning more than 16 mu (1.07 hectare) of collective forestland, comprising 116 clumps, 86 of which were in bloom. The number of flowers per plant ranged from 3 to 16. Based on data review and expert consultation, this is currently the largest known wild population of Cypripedium subtropicum in China, representing exceptionally high conservation and research value.
Cypripedium subtropicum S. C. Chen&K. Y. Lang is a terrestrial orchid species in the genus Cypripedium, capable of growing up to 1.5 meters tall. It features a short, thick rhizome and fleshy roots 2–3 mm in diameter. The stem is erect and pubescent, bearing 9 to 10 elliptic-oblong to elliptic-lanceolate leaves from the middle upward. Its terminal raceme typically carries 7 flowers—yellow, with purple spots on the labellum—blooming in July. This species thrives under alder forests at around 1,400 meters above sea level and is considered a relatively primitive member of the genus, remnant in the northern margins of the Asian tropics. Endemic to China, it is sparsely distributed in southeastern Tibet (Medog), Yunnan, and Guangxi. The type specimen was collected in Tibet. The species is listed as a First-Class National Key Protected Wild Plant and included in the Yunnan Provincial Protection List of Extremely Small Populations (2021 Edition). It also appears as a Class I Endangered Plant in the latest draft of the Second Batch of National Key Protected Wild Plants of China. Internationally, it is listed in CITES Appendix II, subject to trade regulations under permit.
This significant discovery underscores both the ecological conservation achievements in Malipo and the urgent need for continued protection. It offers a new opportunity for research and conservation of this rare population. Moving forward, Malipo will strengthen forest ranger management, intensify public awareness campaigns on wildlife protection, and strive to make this land a lasting home for more rare species.
(Source: Malipo County Forestry and Grassland Administration)