LIPI found two new species of orchids from Papua and Sulawesi

LIPI found two new species of orchids from Papua and Sulawesi

Researchers at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Plant and Botanical Conservation Research Center succeeded in finding two new species of orchids, Dendrobium nagataksaka and Eulophia lagaligo, a report from the LIPI website was quoted as saying in Jakarta on Monday.
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Dendrobium Nagataksaka is an epiphytic orchid that grows attached to the surface of tree trunks. "This new species originates from lowland forest areas in West Papua Province," explained Destario Metusala, a researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).
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He explained that the Dendrobium genus is one of the orchid groups that has a unique flower shape and is a very popular ornamental flower commodity.
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"This new species has a unique form of flower buds with upright petals such as horns and long protruding flower lips resembling the shape of a dragon's head," he explained.
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These characteristics make this new species called Nagataksaka, named after Taksaka, a mythological creature in the form of a dragon in the Mahabharata epic.
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Meanwhile, Eulophia lagaligo has actually been discovered before by the taxonomist C.L. Blume in 1859 was based on a specimen from Timor Island under the name Eulophia bicolor.
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However, later the name of the species was not accepted because it had been used previously by the taxonomist N. A Danzell in 1851 for different species.
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"In taxonomic studies, a species name can only be used once for a taxa. In addition, Blume has assumed that the Eulophia bicolor orchid is the same species as Eulophia nuda because of its similarity, "explained Destario.