Department: Brancho
Alias: One-leaf Orchid
Scientific Name: Pleioneformosana
Gardening Classification: Perennial Herb
Origin: China, Taiwan
This unique orchid is mainly found in the foothills of the Himalayas along the China-India border, as well as in Thailand, Yunnan, Taiwan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and the Indochina Peninsula. In Taiwan, the one-leaf orchid grows at elevations between 1,500 and 2,500 meters above sea level. It can be found from the Tianshan Mountains in Taoyuan to Dawu Mountain in Taitung. The most abundant populations are located in areas like Xitou, Alishan, and Hualian.
Morphological Characteristics:
The one-leaf orchid is a native species found in mid-altitude regions of Taiwan. It is a perennial herb that typically grows on moss-covered surfaces. Its conical pseudobulb produces a flower stalk in early spring, and after the anther forms, it develops a single leaf. This is why it's called "one-leaf orchid." The leaves are 15–25 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, with an oblanceolate shape and parallel veins. The flowers are pink to white, arranged in racemes, with oblong sepals and similar-shaped bracts. The lip is trumpet-shaped, pale pink to white, with hairy edges. The column has four anthers.
Flowering Period: February to April
Among the many orchids native to Taiwan, two species stand out in the Lanzhou community: the rare white phalaenopsis and the steppe orchid. There are approximately 60 species within the same genus.
In 1909, the one-leaf orchid was discovered in the Alishan Forest Farm. In 1911, Japanese botanist Dr. Yukio Hayashi officially named it *Pleioneformosana*. By 1912, staff from the Royal Botanic Garden visited Taiwan to collect specimens, spreading their presence across the island, even reaching Taiping Mountain in Ilan. In 1914, it was planted in the Royal Botanic Garden for public display. In 1920, it won first prize at the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK. Up until 1975, it won six awards, making it the most prized species in its genus. Many of the successful hybrids also had parents from Taiwan, highlighting its significance in horticulture.
The natural habitat of the one-leaf orchid includes cloud belt forests in the central mountainous regions of Taiwan, such as cypress forests, red pine trees, hemlock, Morinda citrifolia, and Taiwan cloud trees. Underneath these, shrubs like Yushan Jian bamboo, rhododendrons, and bilberry thrive. Alongside the one-leaf orchid, other rare plants in this area include Alishan thousand-layer pagoda, Taiwan elm, Huashen, living rhododendron, Taiwan five-leaf, Alishan ten merits, and Weishi rough—many of which require urgent conservation efforts.
Reproduction Characteristics:
The plant consists of a bulb and a single leaf. New plants can grow through sexual reproduction via seeds or through asexual reproduction by regenerating shoots from the bulb. Bulbs larger than 1.4 cm in diameter are considered mature and capable of both reproductive methods. Smaller bulbs reproduce asexually. Each bulb typically has four buds and four nodes, with vegetative buds forming from nodules. Usually, the first growth occurs in a geometric pattern, and the large number of lateral buds helps maintain population stability.
Orchid Beauty and Conservation:
The delicate beauty of the one-leaf orchid, with its fragile structure and stunning blooms, has captivated many. Unfortunately, its beauty has also made it a target for illegal harvesting. Outside of protected areas, it is now extremely rare in the wild. For thousands of years, it thrived in the mountains of Taiwan, but after 400 years of Han settlement, its numbers have drastically declined. As a native species, it reminds us of our deep connection to nature and the responsibility we share in preserving it. How many more generations will witness this beautiful orchid in the wild?
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