Newly discovered plant named after city

Crepidomanes shenzhenense. Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden

Crepidomanes shenzhenense is a new filmy fern species that has only been found in Shenzhen so far, Shenzhen Fairy Lake Botanical Garden said on its WeChat account recently.

The plant is the first pteridophyte plant that was named after Shenzhen.

In fact, the finding was discovered by a plant photographer Wang Xiaoyun and a pteridophyte enthusiast Cai Jun by accident in 2011.

Wang and Cai spotted the plant in Yangtai Mountain when they were originally intending to observe another pteridophyte plant.

The new plant was unknown to Cai. He then took the plant’s photos and went to Wang Hui, a specialist on pteridophyte, for help.

The plant was finally confirmed as a new species after nearly 10 years of comparative research. The finding was published in Phytotaxa, a scientific journal on systematic botany, in April this year, and was officially given a name of Crepidomanes shenzhenense.

It is reported that the numbers of the plant in Shenzhen is very low. Only about 350 plants of the type have been found in the valleys of the two mountains in southern and northern Shenzhen.

After a comprehensive assessment, the plant has been recommended to be listed as a vulnerable species, equaling to the level of the red-crowned crane.

The leaves of the plant are very small with the maximum length only 1.5 centimeters.

There are now a total of seven types of plants named after the city.

Wang Hui said that the reason for naming it after the city also includes a hope to arouse the public’s interest in protecting the ecological environment in Shenzhen.

The new finding not only enriches the family of local plants but also enhances the investigation of the diversity of species in Shenzhen, according to Wang Hui.