Those found removing Chinese spiranthes from Tainan’s Barclay Memorial Park would face heavy penalties, said the city’s Public Works Bureau.
Chinese Spiranthes, a species of orchid and the smallest orchid variety that grows in the wild in Taiwan, blooms annually around March or April.
Due to its rarity it is listed as an endangered plant species, and its appearance in the park always draws attention, the city said.
Photo courtesy of Chou Yin-wang
To prevent accidental trampling of or damage to the flowers, authorities have set up caution tape and warning signs urging visitors not to pick them.
In the past, incidents of theft involving orchids have occurred in Barkley Park, it said.
“We want to make sure that no thefts of the flower occur this year, so we have increased patrols in the park,” it said, adding that it would heavily penalize anyone caught trying to steal them.
Chinese spiranthes, also sometimes called Chinese ladies’ tresses, is native to Taiwan, and is the island’s smallest orchid species, it said.
The spiral-shaped pattern that the blossoms form along the flower’s stalk give it a unique appearance, and have earned it nicknames such as the “coiling dragon ginseng” and the “red dragon spiral,” it said.
“Due to habitat destruction and overharvesting for herbal medicine, wild populations of the flower have become extremely rare,” it said.
Tainan Astronomical Association honorary chairman Chou Yin-wang (周銀王) said he visited the park last week to photograph the orchids, but they were not in bloom at that time.
However, upon returning recently, he was delighted to see them flowering, with the number of blooms exceeding last year, he said.
“Since these orchids are so tiny and easily overlooked, local volunteers have taken the initiative to inform others about their presence,” he said.
While the orchids are the current focus of attention, destruction of any plant life in the park would result in penalties, the bureau said.
Under local ordinance related to the management of public facilities and greenery, damage to a tree’s trunk or bark, or removal of a tree, would result in a fine “six times the tree’s market value,” it said.
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