New species of 'immortal herb' discovered

A team of Chinese researchers have identified a new species of dendrobium, a genus of orchids known locally as shihu, in Ya'an, Sichuan province. The discovery was published recently in the botanical journal Phytotaxa.

Dendrobium, the second-largest genus in the orchid family, primarily consists of epiphytic plants that grow on other plants. They are prized in China as one of the "immortal herbs", valued for their health benefits.

The new species, named "Hongbin dendrobium" (Dendrobium hongbin), honors Yang Hongbin, director of the International Dendrobium Research and Development Center in Chengdu and leader of the research team.