Sat, Aug 22, 2026 page2

• Institute introduces plan for conserving three plant species

  • By Esme Yeh / Staff reporter
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  The Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute yesterday announced an action plan for conserving three endangered native plant species under the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Taiwan Ecological Network program.

  The three species are the endangered Kao’s thorowax, and the critically endangered Asiatic sand sedge and Taiwan cork-tree, the institute said.

  The conservation plan for the three species is grounded in scientific research, with a comprehensive assessment of their current status, ecological characteristics, population trends, reproductive biology and conservation strategies, it said.

  

  Asiatic sand sedge is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture

  Working in collaboration with local governments, academic institutions and civic groups, the goal is to build a roadmap for native plant conservation work and prevent threatened species from disappearing, it said.

  The plan for the three species is centered on the vision of protecting plant resources, sustaining ecosystem stability and ensuring sustainable survival of wildlife species in Taiwan, the institute said.

  Asiatic sand sedge, or Carex kobomugi, is a perennial herb that grows exclusively on sandy beaches, it said.

  

  A Taiwan cork-tree is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture

  This dioecious species is currently restricted to two small populations along the Yanliao (鹽寮) and Fulong (福隆) beaches in northern Taiwan, while an additional population dwells on Dongju Island (東莒島) in Lienchiang County, it said.

  Asiatic sand sedge is a temperate coastal plant species distributed across the Ussuri River in Russia, Japan, South Korea and northeastern China, it said, adding that Taiwan marks the southernmost limit of its geographic range.

  It has a well-developed underground rhizome system that can stabilize loose sand against coastal erosion, making it an important plant for coastal protection and sand fixation, the institute said.

  

  Kao’s thorowax is pictured in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture

  Asiatic sand sedge also has genetic resources associated with heat tolerance and adaptation to climate warming, which are considered to have irreplaceable global conservation value particularly amid global warming, it said.

  The Taiwan cork-tree, or Phellodendron amurense var. wilsonii, is endemic to Taiwan, the institute said.

  It is a dioecious, deciduous tree distributed in northern and central Taiwan at elevations ranging from 1,800m to 2,700m, it said.

  The Taiwan cork-tree has long been regarded as an important traditional Chinese medicinal resource, as its bright yellow inner bark contains high levels of berberine, the institute said.

  The species is ecologically valuable as its mature fruits provide an important winter food source for wildlife including birds, squirrels and macaques, it said.

  Its root system also contributes to soil and water conservation on mountain slopes, the institute said.

  The cork-tree’s primary wild populations are restricted to Yilan County’s Taiping Mountain (太平山) and Nantou County’s Cueifong (翠峰) area, it said.

  Kao’s thorowax, or Bupleurum kaoi, is an endemic perennial herb that is distributed mainly in low-elevation mountainous areas of northern and central Taiwan, the institute said.

  The species typically grows in sunny, low-elevation hills and public cemeteries, thus known locally as “graveyard grass,” it said.

  Its roots are rich in saikosaponins, making it a promising native medicinal plant resource, the institute said.

  The plant is also listed as a premium medicinal herb in the ancient Chinese medical encyclopedia The Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic (神農本草經), it said.

  The publishing of the action plan signals that Taiwan’s conservation efforts have shifted from “prohibition and protection” to “active restoration, scientific management and sustainable utilization,” the institute said.
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