Orchidologists from the University of Gdańsk have discovered a new, amazing species of a rare orchid. The plant is found only in the province of Carchi in northern Ecuador. The new species was named Maxillaria anacatalinaportillae.

The orchid was discovered in the misty rainforests of northern Ecuador by Dr Monika Lipińska and Prof. Dariusz Szlachetko from the Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Protection, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk.

Ecuador is one of the countries with the highest biodiversity index. It is estimated that its flora includes about 25,000 species of vascular plants (i.e. 10% of species occurring in the world) and as many as 5,000 of them are orchids.

Maxillaria anacatalinaportillae is famous by its showy, intensely yellow flowers. It was described by Polish orchidologists in cooperation with an Ecuadorian company dealing in the production and export of orchids.

More: https://ug.edu.pl/news/pl/2876/w-lasach-deszczowych-ekwadoru-odkryli-nowy-gatunek-orchidei

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