Scientists sometimes find new flower species in parks, gardens, and balcony planters.
Japanese researchers found a new orchid species with exquisite pink-and-white blossoms that seem like glass.
A Japanese orchid species that resembles the newly identified blossom is nearby.
Scientists revealed Friday in the Journal of Plant Research that its finding reminds us that unknown species are often right under our noses.
"The amazing diversity of the orchid family, Orchidaceae, is absolutely astonishing,
and new discoveries like this Spiranthes emphasize the necessity to research and safeguard these botanical gems,"
Justin Kondrat, lead horticultural for the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection, told CNN in an email. Kondrat didn't research.
Spiranthes orchids, termed "ladies' tresses," resemble wavy hair. Spiranthes contain a central stalk with a spiral of tiny bell-shaped white, pink, purple, or yellow blooms.
The survey revealed roughly 50 species of Spiranthes in Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas, mostly in temperate or tropical climates.