Do you know the rare plants in Yunnan?

The second part of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is held in Montreal, Canada, highlighting the colorful Yunnan elements and the beautiful Yunnan image.

Today, the "One Home, One World" MV officially debuted in Kunming, Yunnan province, echoing the on-going UN event in the Canadian city.

As the host province of part one of COP15, Yunnan nourishes nearly 50% of most species in China, with only 4.1% of the Chinese land.

On this mysterious plateau, mountains and rivers crisscross, giving rise to diverse ecosystems. Rare plants, animals and microorganisms thrive, living in harmony with humans. Yunnan has thus won the title of a "flora kingdom".

Here we present you some exotic Yunnan flowers and trees.

Snow lotus

Also known as Saussurea medusa Maxim, the snow lotus mainly grows in Yunnan, Qinghai, Tibet, Gansu and other places. It is covered with fine hair, and its overall shape looks like a big jellyfish. The plant only blooms once in its lifetime.

 

Dancing plant

The dancing plant, or Codariocalyx motorius, is the only wild plant that can respond to sound. At melodies, it will keep swinging. Studies showed the plant has a sponge in its petiole cells. The sponge resonates with sounds of 35-65 decibels, and that’s why it can "dance" with the melody.

  

Parashorea chinensis

With a maximum height of 70-80 meters, Parashorea chinensis is the largest tree species in Southeast Asia, and it is called the "giant" in the tropical rainforest. The discovery of the tree in Yunnan and Guangxi proved that tropical rainforests exist in the Chinese regions.

Victoria lotus

Native to tropical areas of South America, the Victoria lotus has the largest leaf among aquatic plants in the world, with a maximum diameter of 3 meters. The leaf is smooth, like a green plate floating on the water. The thick leaf is underpinned by sharp spines and reticulate veins. The veins are filled with air, providing each leaf a buoyancy up to 70 kilograms.

  

Meconopsis

Mostly visible in the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains, Meconopsis grows in fir forests or hillside bushes at an altitude of 3,000-5,100 meters. It is called either "the flower closest to sky" or “peony on the highland".

  

Shield sundew

The shield sundew, or Drosera peltata, is a carnivorous plant genus. Secreting a viscous liquid, its leaves would first stick to the prey like an insect, then wrap it up and melt it down with a digestive liquid.

  

Giant fishtail palm

The giant fishtail palm, or Caryota obtuse, grows in limestone mountains or valleys with a maximum height of over 30 meters. The canopy looks like a giant umbrella. It is actually formed by 10 plus leaves, each extending for 7-8 meters in length and 5 meters in width.

  

Tetrastigma planicaule

With broad and flat stems, the Tetrastigma planicaule vine is named after the shoulder pole in China. The giant stem is a natural water source. Cut into halves, the vine will produce a juice that can quench your thirst.

  

Hermit's spittoon

The Hermit's spittoon, or Sapria himalayana, is a rare holoparasitic flowering plant. Without leaves, roots or branches, it lacks photosynthetic features of plants in general. It only blooms fully at the reproduction period, inviting in flies or other pollinators with its rosy color and rancid smell.

 

Trans-editing By Wang Shixue and Guo Yao (Yunnan Daily)