LIPI Discovers Two New Orchid Species in Papua and Sulawesi
Translator
Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor
Petir Garda Bhwana
Rabu, 6 November 2019 13:10 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Institute of Sciences’ (LIPI) forest and plant conservation researcher, Destario Metusala, announced the discovery of two new orchid species; Dendrobium Nagataksaka in West Papua and Eulophia Lagaligo in South Sulawesi.
“The natural distribution of this new species is known to come from the forest lowlands of West Papua,” said Destario in Jakarta on Tuesday, November 5.
The new species’ discovery has been published in the international science journal Phytotaxa in September this year.
The Epithet Lagaligo was taken from the name La Galigo, a 14th-century world heritage literature from South Sulawesi. This species has similarities with the Eulophia Nuda with differences in its chin flower that bends slightly lower down and a flower pillar that is much more slender.
Other than South Sulawesi, the natural spread of Eulophia Lagaligo is known to originate from Timor Islands in the East Nusa Tenggara. This species flourishes in lowlands at the level of 100-600 meters above sea levels.
