Nature is full of secrets. There are still many things to find out about it. One of those things was discovered last week in Japan. It is rare to find new plant in Japan. Its trees, flowers and other flora are well documented. However, amateur naturalist came across new species of orchid in Tokyo. Scientists studied flower and believe it grows in parks and gardens across Japan. The newly-found orchid is beautiful. It is pink and white, and its delicate petals look like they are made from glass. Professor Kenji Suetsugu from Kobe University said: " discovery of new species in common places means it is necessary to keep exploring, even in everyday places that don't look so remarkable."
There are about 28,000 orchid species worldwide. new orchid belongs to class called Spiranthes. There are about 50 different kinds of Spiranthes. They are the most common kind of orchid in Japan. They are mentioned in Japanese poem from year 759. Professor Suetsugu said he and his colleagues were "thrilled to have identified new species". He said it was exciting because it wasn't found hidden deep in rainforest or jungle. discovery of new orchid is good news. However, many orchids are on endangered species list. This is because of habitat loss. We need to protect natural environments to stop flowers disappearing. If we lose more orchids, the world will be less colourful.
