The staff of the Zhongshan Nature Reserve Management and Protection Center recently found several small brown plants along the mountain ladders in the Zhongshan Arboretum, which were finally identified as Eulophia zollingeri, a wild orchid species that has not been recorded in Zhongshan.

Eulophia zollingeri belongs to the genus Eulophia of the Orchidaceae family. The whole plant has no green leaves, and survives through root saprophytic nutrition. The bulbs at the root swell into lumps, and the flowering period is typically from April to June. The plants blooming diameter can be as long as 13 cm, and the flowers are brownish yellow.

Growing in harsh conditions, Eulophia zollingeri has been included into the Appendix II of The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and its international trade is strictly regulated across the world.