Recently, Hangzhou aquatic plant expert Chen Yuchu and Professor Liu Xing from Wuhan University published a paper in the journal "Phytotaxa," officially introducing two new species of the water chive genus - the Changle water chive from Changle Forest Farm in Jingshan Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, and the Yuhang water chive from Cibi Village in Huanghu Town, Yuhang District. According to the "National Key List of Wild Plants under State Protection," all species of the water chive genus are classified as first-level key protected plants in the country.
The Longle Water Chives grown in the Changle Forest Farm. All images in this article are from the official WeChat account of "Hangzhou Release."
According to a message from the "Hangzhou Release" WeChat official account, in 2021-2022, Chen Yuchu and his team in Hangzhou discovered these two populations and recorded them as "Chinese water chives." However, botanists found that the water chives in Changle Linchang, Xingshan Town, and Cibi Village, Huanghu Town, were different from those in other places. They could be independently classified as a new species. Therefore, based on the discovery location, they were named Changle Water Chives and Yuhang Water Chives.
The Leaves of Water Quillwort
The Chinese quillwort (Isoetes sinensis Palmer) is a perennial marsh fern plant endemic to China in the Isoetaceae family. Resembling chives in appearance, it is listed as endangered (EN) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is a nationally protected plant at the first level. Known as the "giant panda of the plant kingdom," it is mainly found in Jiangsu (Nanjing), Anhui (Xiuning, Tunxi, and Dangtu), Zhejiang (Hangzhou, Zhuji, Jiande, and Lishui), among other regions. Zhejiang alone accounts for over half of the total area of Chinese quillwort populations in the country. According to a report by Urban Express in February 2021, Chen Yuchu and his team discovered a local Chinese quillwort population covering over 300 square meters in Niangniang Mountain, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, with more than 20,000 plants.
Water quillworts thrive in clean water marshlands. Unlike other aquatic plants that absorb carbon dioxide directly through their leaves and stems from water, in nutrient-poor water bodies, plants cannot form dense colonies. Water quillworts, however, prefer growing in barren environments due to their roots having a central air chamber with a vascular bundle running along its outer edge. The rich microorganisms in the muddy bottom of the water release a significant amount of carbon dioxide, which diffuses through the root surface, rises to the central air chamber of the root, and then enters the leaves, providing 70% to 100% of the carbon for the water quillwort.
Research indicates that the reason water quillworts "breathe through their roots" is due to their evolution dating back to the Carboniferous and Devonian periods, around 300 to 400 million years ago. At that time, the oxygen content in the atmosphere was low, while carbon dioxide was abundant, making it unnecessary for plants to grow large leaves to increase their contact area with the atmosphere and enhance carbon dioxide absorption efficiency. The physiological processes of water quillworts may be a remnant from that era.
Can water quillworts be eaten? In response to inquiries from netizens, Chen Yuchu once stated that water quillworts have no taste. "I have searched for a lot of information and have not found any evidence that they can be eaten. Those of us studying water quillworts have never considered the issue of consumption, only focusing on research for conservation purposes."
(Original title: Hangzhou Adds Two New Species: Changle Water Quillwort and Yuhang Water Quillwort - Fern Plants that Breathe through Roots)
