VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnamese and Korean scientists recently announced the discovery of three new floral species in the Hon Ba Nature Reserve in the central province of Khanh Hoa.

From 2011 to 2013 a group of scientists from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources of Vietnam and the International Biological Material Research Center of South Korea made about 20 survey trips of the flora system in the Hon Ba Nature Reserve and discovered three new species.

The first species has the scientific name of Dillenia Tetrapetala Joongku Lee, T.B.Tran & R.K.Choudhary (Dilleniaceae).

The plant is considered endangered based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list criteria because of its restricted distribution. This species usually grows at altitudes of about 200-300 meters.

Also in the Hon Ba Nature Reserve, scientists discovered the Argostemma species Joongku Lee, T.B.Tran & R.K.Choudhary (Rubiaceae) species, belonging to the family of coffee. This species is available at a height of 1,500 meters.

The third species is Cordiglottis longipedicellata Joongku Lee, T.B.Tran & R.K.Choudhary  (Orchidaceae) in the orchid family. This species also grow at altitude of 1,500m.

Samples of the three species are being kept at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources of Vietnam.

S. Tu