A new subspecies of the genus Skimmia is discovered in Lishui. [Photo/WeChat account: wxlishui]

A new subspecies of the genus Skimmia, belonging to the family Rutaceae, has been confirmed as a new global species by plant experts in East China's Zhejiang province.

The plant was discovered during a scientific expedition in Lishui city. It is sparsely distributed in a shrub area at an altitude of 1,688 meters in Baishanzu National Park in Lishui's Jingning She autonomous county.

Plant experts Chen Zhenghai and Mei Xudong made the discovery during a biodiversity survey on Shangshantou Mountain. Chen first noticed the plant in 2021 but didn't collect its flower or fruit specimens from it until last year. After its molecular identification, he confirmed that it was a new subspecies of Skimmia.

The discovery of the species in Lishui indicates that the city is an important distribution area for Skimmia and provides new material for research.

In addition to the new plant, some rare plants such as Stellaria omeiensis, Sabia emarginata Lecomte and Carpinus tientaiensis Cheng inhabit the same area. "This further proves that Lishui has an excellent natural environment and rich biodiversity," Mei said.