Orchid  (Phragmipedium besseae)

Classified as Vulnerable on the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants (2), and listed on Appendix I of CITES (3).

The recently discovered orchid Phragmipedium besseae boasts spectacular and instantly recognisable flowers, which are bright scarlet-orange in colour (4).

Endemic to Ecuador and Peru in South America (4), populations in Peru are now believed to be extinct (2).

The most recently reported site occurred in montane forest at around 2,000 metres above sea level (4).

Phragmipedium besseae is a terrestrial orchid, which grows on moss-covered rocks. Groups may be in bloom for much of the year due to the repeated nature of flowering (4).

Orchids in this region are under threat from the continued destruction of their native habitat (4). These highly attractive flowers are also in commercial demand and over-collection has driven many populations to the brink of extinction (4).

Phragmipedium besseae is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which bans trade in wild-collected plants (3). The protection of remaining habitat will be the key to securing its future in the wild.