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First recorded bloom of the Critically Endangered ironwood Ostrya rehderiana in Kunming Botanical Garden

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2024

Lian Tao ,
Weibang Sun Open the ORCID record for Weibang Sun [Opens in a new window]  and
Jing Yang Open the ORCID record for Jing Yang [Opens in a new window]
Lian Tao
Affiliation:
Kunming Botanical Garden, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China College Forestry, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
Weibang Sun
Affiliation:
Kunming Botanical Garden, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
Jing Yang*
Affiliation:
Kunming Botanical Garden, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
*
yangjing@mail.kib.ac.cn
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Abstract

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Type
Conservation News
Information
Oryx , Volume 58 , Issue 4 , July 2024 , pp. 421
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence CC BY 4.0.
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International

In March 2024, the Critically Endangered ironwood tree Ostrya rehderiana (family Betulaceae) blossomed for the first time in Kunming Botanical Garden, China. This tree was originally transplanted from the Hangzhou Botanical Garden in 1990. Its natural habitat is Tianmu Mountain, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Since its description in 1927, only a single remaining wild population of five mature individuals is known, a consequence of extensive and long-term anthropogenic disturbance. It is designated as a Class I Protected Wild Plant Species in China and is included in the national conservation initiative for Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations.

Comparative research of O. rehderiana and its more widely distributed relative, Ostrya chinensis, indicates that the effective population size of O. rehderiana has declined over the past 10,000 years, with an accumulation of deleterious mutations. On the brink of extinction, the remaining wild population is safeguarded within a nature reserve. Conservation efforts, including pollination management, seed collection, germination, ex situ conservation and in vitro cultivation, have been implemented for over 4 decades. More than 3,000 seedlings have been propagated, and eight ex situ conservation sites have been established across China.

In Kunming Botanical Garden, O. rehderiana, influenced by Kunming's cold climate and high altitude, has a slow growth rate. The tree is 8.42 m tall and has a diameter at breast height of 9.8 cm. Its crown measures 7.5 × 4.8 m. Despite the tree taking approximately 30 years to bloom—a significantly delayed development—the event is unprecedented and is significant for botanical records.

The Critically Endangered ironwood tree Ostrya rehderiana blossoming for the first time in Kunming Botanical Garden, China, in March 2024. Photo: Lian Tao.