According to the Forest Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Myanmar is home to tens of thousands of flower species, with 1,040 of these belonging to the orchid family.
Staff Officer U Talun Hmon Thang of Mount Popa National Park said, “We have conducted field studies with members of the Myanmar Orchid Lovers Association and botanists from different universities to discover new orchid species almost every year since 2003. We have achieved considerable success since 2015.”
The department has dispatched on-site research teams to Phonkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary, Khakaborazi National Park in Kachin State, Mount Popa National Park in Mandalay Region, Natmataung National Park in Chin State, Alaungtaw Kathapha National Park in Sagaing Region, Taunggyi Bird Sanctuary in Shan State, sanctuaries, and adjacent areas in Taninthayi Region.
Records from 2003 indicated that only 810 orchid species are native to Myanmar. However, the department and experts discovered and documented over 230 new species between 2015 and 2020. Presently, the department has identified 1,040 orchid species in 151 genera.
The department has had to conduct numerous on-site research efforts because the current data are based on botanical findings from five decades ago. These research efforts rely on fieldwork, written records, and flower models. Follow-up studies show that 76 species are endemic to Myanmar.
Moreover, the department has warned that most orchid species are endangered. — ASH/NT
