Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – A biodiversity expedition conducted by the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park Authority in July 2024 led to the discovery of a new orchid species endemic to Kalimantan.
This orchid, belonging to the genus Bulbophyllum, was found on Mount Bukit Raya at an elevation of approximately 1,320 meters.
The discovery has been scientifically recognized and published in an international journal on May 9, 2025, under the name Bulbophyllum bukitrayaense, in honor of the discovery location.
The success of the TNBBBR Expedition Team in discovering this new orchid species deserves appreciation, as it highlights the vast potential for further discoveries of new species in Kalimantan.
Therefore, continued exploration is highly encouraged, as it will likely yield even more new findings of biodiversity in the region.
According to an official statement from the Ministry of Forestry, Bulbophyllum bukitrayaense is morphologically similar to B. scabrum Vermeulen & Lamb, particularly in having a labellum with a doubly undulating lower surface.
However, this newly identified species has a labellum with a higher length-to-width ratio and a quarter of its upper surface is rough-textured.
Its widest point, when not expanded, occurs halfway along its length.
In addition, the ovary is covered with a papillose-muriculate indumentum.
This new species also bears similarities to B. ovalifolium, but differs by having a rocket-shaped labellum.
Other distinguishing features include undulating margins that approach the lower surface of the labellum, elliptical sepals, and the presence of papillose-muricate indumentum on the ovary.
The genus Bulbophyllum Thouars, which consists of approximately 2,000 species, is one of the most diverse plant genera in the world.
The center of its biodiversity includes Borneo—Kalimantan being the Indonesian portion— the third-largest island in the world, with nearly 300 known species.
Since the publication of the monograph Bulbophyllum of Borneo, more botanical explorations have been carried out to reveal the diversity within this largest genus of the Orchidaceae family.
These efforts have led to the description of several new taxa from Kalimantan.
This discovery is a testament to the extraordinary biodiversity still hidden within Kalimantan’s tropical rainforest ecosystem.
It emphasizes the urgent need for ongoing conservation and deeper research to protect and preserve the region’s natural heritage and biodiversity legacy. *
