Scientists have discovered a specimen of ‘nepenthes thorelii’, a tropical pitcher plant indigenous to Indochina, in the Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park in the southern province of Tay Ninh, after it was believed to be extinct for a century.
The specimen was discovered during a field trip conducted by the Institute of Tropical Biology and French and British researchers.
Nepenthes thorelii was first discovered around 1861 by French botanist Clovis Thorel in Thi Tinh commune, Lo Thieu district, Binh Duong province, and it was rediscovered in Tay Ninh province in 2011.
With fewer than 100 specimens known to be in existence, the plant is now in danger of extinction.
The rediscovery of nepenthes thorelii shows the uniqueness of Vietnam’s nature and highlights the need for drastic measures to protect the country’s precious biodiversity. Nepenthes thorelii contains a substance that can be used to treat malaria.