Scientists say the illegal collection of orchids is pushing species to the edge of extinction, with dire consequences for biodiversity. With some vulnerable species available on the black market before they can even be formally named, biologists and customs officers alike are battling to preserve the captivating plants. Read more
The Hartslock Nature Reserve in Oxfordshire, England, has successfully interbred a monkey orchid (Orchis simia) and a lady orchid (Orchis purpurea) to produce a new hybrid variety. The botanical feat is the first of its kind in Britain and its success could help determine the past and the future of the flower's evolution.
"We should be moving away from the idea of protecting individual species in this case and instead be thinking about 'conservation of process,' that is to say, maintaining the capacity of species to evolve and disperse. If hybridisation between closely related species is part of that, then so be it" - Dr. Mike Faye, whose Royal Botanical Gardens team conducted the experiment.
No official name has been reported for the new hybrid, but the intermediate variety of the two orchids has been officially verified by scientists at London's Natural History Museum.