The National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN) has recorded 10 newly identified orchid species, highlighting the extensive undocumented biodiversity in Indonesia and emphasizing the necessity for expanded field exploration and herbarium studies.
BRIN announced that the research, which appeared in the journal Lankesteriana, was carried out in collaboration with universities and conservation partners throughout Indonesia from 2020 to 2024.
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The study was conducted under the leadership of the Center for Biosystematics and Evolution Research at BRIN, and it included collaborations with the Nusantara Native Plants Foundation, the Wetland Biota Conservation Foundation, Samudra University, and Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.
"This shows that Indonesia, particularly Wallacea and eastern Indonesia, still holds significant orchid diversity that remains undocumented,” says Aninda Retno Utami Wibowo, researcher at BRIN’s Center for Biosystematics and Evolution Research.
“Field exploration and herbarium studies need to be continuously strengthened to enrich national biodiversity data,” she adds.
The research team has meticulously documented 10 orchid species that have been newly identified in Indonesia. This includes species such as Bulbophyllum nematocaulon, Bulbophyllum sanguineomaculatum, Cleisomeria lanatum, Corybas calopeplos, and Corybas holttumii, all originating from Sumatra.
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The text outlines a variety of species from different regions. Among these, Acanthophippium bicolor and Anoectochilus papuanus are native to Java. The Nusa Tenggara Islands are home to Dendrobium teretifolium. Kalimantan is the origin of Bulbophyllum thiurum, while Sulawesi is where Aerides augustiana can be found.
The field research was conducted by Yuda Rehata Yudistira from the Nusantara Native Plants Foundation in collaboration with the Wetland Biota Conservation Foundation, alongside Wendy A. Mustaqim from the Biology Department at Samudra University.
The researchers gathered specimens, meticulously documented the morphological characteristics of the plants, preserved these samples for herbarium storage, and compared them with existing collections located in both Indonesian and international herbaria.
Numerous findings have unveiled significant changes in biogeographical patterns. Anoectochilus papuanus, originally identified solely in Papua and the Solomon Islands, has been documented in East Java for the first time.
In the meantime, Dendrobium teretifolium, which was formerly identified solely in Australia, has been documented in East Nusa Tenggara, indicating a broader historical range than was previously recognized. Aninda stated that the documentation could offer a scientific foundation for habitat preservation and the enhancement of conservation policies.
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"Accurate species documentation is essential to support habitat protection and strengthen conservation policies based on scientific data,” she says.
The findings were published in Lankesteriana Volume 26, Issue 1, 2026, in an article titled “Ten New Orchid Records from the Indonesian Archipelago."