New species of orchid identified in Japan is distinct from a familiar flower cherished for centuries and mentioned in the Man’yōshū (ca. 759 AD)

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1. Excerpt from the linked summary^1 by Mindy Weisberger, about the discovery^2 of a new plant species:

   >[Scientists] in Japan recently identified a new species of orchid, its pink-and-white blooms so delicate and fragile they look like they were spun from glass.

   >Identifying new plant species in Japan is an uncommon event, with the nation’s flora extensively documented and studied.

   >Populations of the floral newcomer were discovered in Tokyo prefecture near Hachijo Island, inspiring the species name *Spiranthes hachijoensis*.

   >Before this discovery, three species of Spiranthes orchids were found in Japan: *S. australis*, *S. sinensis* and *S. hongkongensis*, and only *S. australis* was thought to grow on the Japanese mainland.

   >However, during a survey on mainland Japan over a decade ago, lead study author Kenji Suetsugu, a professor in Kobe University’s Division of Biodiversity, Ecology and Speciation, found something unusual: flowers presumed to be *S. australis* but with smooth stems. (*S. australis* typically has hairy stems.)

   >The hairless populations also flowered about one month earlier than *S. australis* usually did — another indication these rogue orchids might not be *S. australis*, Suetsugu told CNN in an email.

   >“This led us to investigate further,” Suetsugu said.

   > 

   >Colors of *S. hachijoensis* blooms varied “from purple-pink to white,” with petals measuring about 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 4 millimeters) long, researchers reported.

   >*S. hachijoensis* had smaller flowers with wider bases and straighter central petals than other Spiranthes species; it also lacked a structure for self-pollination.

   >Morphologically, it was a close match to *S. hongkongensis* and *S. nivea*, but minute physical differences and genetic analysis confirmed it was unique.

   >“We were thrilled to have identified a new species of Spiranthes,” Suetsugu said.

   >“Spiranthes is the most familiar orchid in Japan and has been cherished for centuries,” he said, adding that the flower is mentioned in Japan’s oldest anthology of poetry that dates to 759.

   ^1 Mindy Weisberger for CNN/Warner Bros. Discovery, 17 Mar. 2023, https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/17/asia/japan-new-species-orchid-scn

   ^2 Suetsugu, K., Hirota, S.K., Hayakawa, H. et al. Spiranthes hachijoensis (Orchidaceae), a new species within the S. sinensis species complex in Japan, based on morphological, phylogenetic, and ecological evidence. *Journal of Plant Research* (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-023-01448-6