Orchids are some of the most cultivated and collected flowers in the world. They are unique, beautiful and vibrant flowers that attract a lot of attention.
Unfortunately, all this attention turns out to be bad for them. Many species have been overharvested for trade and are sold on the black market for large sums.
This has absolutely devastated the wild population of many species of orchids worldwide, including almost every rare orchid on this list. To make matters worse, orchids’ natural habitats are threatened by deforestation and other human activities.
If you want to know the 10 rarest orchid species in the worldinstead of buying them, stay with us and check them out below:
1. Pétales Étroits Serapias
Sérapias à Pétales Étroits, native to Algeria and Tunisia, is a critically endangered orchid that has a very small population. There are only a few locations in both countries where Sérapias à Pétales Étroits grow and it is estimated that each group has less than 50 mature plants. The total population of Serapias à Pétales Étroits is around 250 units.
Unlike some other rare orchids on this list, Sérapias à Pétales Étroits is not really threatened by over-collecting. Instead, the species is threatened by the destruction of roadside ditches, trampling and grazing by livestock, and the creation of a zoo.
Although all orchids are included in Appendix B of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and generally protected, there are no additional conservation programs protecting Serapias à Pétales Étroits.
2. Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid
The Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid, also called the Kinabalu Golden Orchid, is one of the most sought after rare orchids in the world. According to reports, just one stem of the Rothschild Slipper Orchid can fetch up to $5,000 on the black market. Unfortunately, the species’ popularity among orchid collectors has greatly threatened its status in its native habitat.
This orchid only grows on Mount Kinabalu in northern Borneo, Malaysia. The IUCN Red List estimates that fewer than 50 units now remain. Furthermore, the IUCN Red List states that although the Rothschild’s Slipper Orchid is very popular, it is still rarely cultivated and most plants sold come from the wild population.
3. Urban Paphiopedilum
Urban Paphiopedilum is yet another rare orchid on this list that almost went extinct in the wild because people can’t get enough of its beauty. According to the IUCN Red List, the population of Urban Paphiopedilum has been nearly decimated and reduced by over 95% over the past three generations.
In addition to poaching, the biggest threats to Urban Paphiopedilum include habitat degradation, trampling, expansion of settlement areas, deforestation, wildfires, logging, haphazard logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and soil erosion. Currently, it is estimated that there are less than 50 Urbano’s Paphiopedilum left in the wild.
4. Liem’s Paphiopedilum
Although Liem’s Paphiopedilum is very close to extinction in the wild, this rare orchid is often available for sale at various online stores or for trading on orchid forums. This popularity is the greatest threat to the species, which is only found in a single 4 km² (1.54 mi²) area in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
In the past, the Urban Paphiopedilum was abundant, but its population began to decline sharply in 1971 due to over-collection. Even at that time, Urban Paphiopedilum was close to extinction and the wild population never recovered. Only a few plants (less than 50) exist in an inaccessible area, which prevents the orchid from being completely extinct.
5. Sang’s Paphiopedilum
Sang’s Paphiopedilum is a rare orchid native only to the mountain forests of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is estimated that the species only grows in an area of 8 km². Despite being so difficult to reach, Sang’s Paphiopedilum has been harvested. The species is also threatened by deforestation, logging, fires and habitat destruction.
According to the IUCN Red List, the wild population of Sang’s Paphiopedilum has declined by about 90% in the last decade. Fortunately, the remaining Sang’s Paphiopedilum are in an area that is difficult to access. For now, this is one of the only things saving this rare orchid from extinction.
6. Fairrie’s Paphiopedilum
Like many of the rare orchids on this list, Fairrie’s Paphiopedilum’s beauty is a primary cause of its critically endangered status. Fairrie’s Paphiopedilum has vibrant purple and white petals and yellowish-green markings. This good looks has made Fairrie’s Paphiopedilum one of the most popularly cultivated orchids around the world. There is a high demand for the orchid and unfortunately the species has been over-collected from the wild.
In the past, Fairrie’s Paphiopedilum was found in Bhutan and India. Today, the only surviving population of the plant is in the Himalayas east to Assam. Fairrie’s Paphiopedilum became extinct in Bhutan shortly after it was first discovered in 1904.
7. Western Underground Orchid
The Western Underground Orchid is extremely rare and one of the most unique flowers in the world. As its name suggests, the plant spends its entire life underground. This rare orchid even blooms underground.
The Western Underground Orchid does not have green parts, such as stems and leaves, and does not photosynthesize. Instead, it gets all of its nutrients from a fungus that grows on the roots of the broom bush.
It is estimated that there are currently less than 50 Western Underground Orchids. Getting an accurate population size count can be difficult because it often takes hours of careful digging to find just one plant.
8. Vietnamese Paphiopedilum
The Vietnamese Paphiopedilum may already be extinct in the wild, but it is still widely cultivated by orchid collectors around the world. Like most orchids, both the rare ones on this list and the species with stronger numbers, Vietnamese Paphiopedilum is overharvested in the wild. People exploit the plant for horticultural purposes and international trade.
The IUCN Red List says the population of the Vietnamese Paphiopedilum has been reduced by 95% over the last three generations. The last update on the remaining plants was in 2003 and there may be less than 50 Vietnamese Paphiopedilum left. This rare orchid is found only in Thái Nguyên province in northern Vietnam.
9. Hawaiian Bog Orchid
The Hawaiian Bog Orchid is the rarest orchid species native to Hawaii. At the last count in 2011, there were only 33 orchids of this type found in the wild on three islands in Hawaii. The greatest threat to the Hawaiian swamp orchid has been habitat destruction by humans and domestic and wild animals. This rare Hawaiian orchid is also threatened by non-native invasive plant species.
Although the Hawaiian Bog Orchid has become increasingly rare in the wild, there are currently ongoing conservation efforts. In recent years, conservationists have been growing Hawaiian orchid seedlings and replanting them in the wild. Conservationists hope the seedlings can survive in the long term and stabilize the Hawaiian orchid population.
10. Rolfian Zeuxine
Rolfian Zeuxine was only rediscovered in the wild in 2010, after being known only from records from over 121 years ago. While finding the actual plants is significant, unfortunately researchers only found about 18 sterile Zeuxine rolfiana. With so few individuals and no sign that the remaining plants will reproduce, Zeuxine rolfiana is the rarest orchid in the world.
The 2010 research team collected three specimens of Zeuxine rolfiana and brought them back to the St. Joseph’s College in Kozhikode, Kerala, India. The orchids ended up flowering in the gardens, but died shortly afterwards. The habitat of Zeuxine rolfiana is very threatened by extensive construction in the area.
* Via rare.org