“The success of the national park’s expedition team in finding this new orchid species deserves appreciation as it opens more opportunities to find other new species in Kalimantan,” head of the bureau of public relations and foreign cooperation of the Forestry Ministry, Krisdianto, said.
“Therefore, further exploration is urgently needed, and hopefully, it will lead to more discoveries of new biodiversity in Kalimantan,” he added in a statement on Wednesday.
The new orchid species was found on Mount Bukit Raya at an altitude of around 1,320 meters in July 2024.
The discovery was scientifically recognized and published in an international journal on May 9, 2025, with the orchid named Bulbophyllum bukitrayaense after the location where it was discovered.
Bulbophyllum bukitrayaense is morphologically similar to Bulbophyllum scabrum Vermeulen & Lamb: the lower surface of the labellum, or flower lip, has a double-wavy edge in both.
However, in the new species, the labellum has a larger length-to-width index and a rough upper quarter surface, the widest point, in an unexpanded state, at half its length. In addition, the ovary is covered by papillose-muriculate indumentum.
The new species is also similar to Bulbophyllum ovalifolium, but has a rocket-shaped labellum.
Thus, the distinguishing features of the new species are the presence of undulations or edge waves approaching the lower surface of the labellum, oval petals, and the presence of papillose-muricate indumentum in the ovary.
The genus Bulbophyllum Thouars, which consists of around two thousand species, is one of the most diverse plant genera in the world. Borneo or Kalimantan, the world's third-largest island with nearly 300 known species, is a center of biodiversity.
The discovery of the new species, Krisdianto said, is proof that the tropical rainforest ecosystem in Kalimantan still holds extraordinary biodiversity potential and needs to be continuously maintained and studied more deeply for the sake of preserving nature and the nation’s biological heritage.
Related news: New bird species discovered in Indonesia, highlighting biodiversity
Related news: Indonesia, Canada plant 100 rare tree seeds in South Kalimantan
Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
