Carpinus putoensis Cheng fruits in Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden. [Photo/WeChat ID: sheshanlvyou]

Carpinus putoensis Cheng, a critically endangered plant species native to China, fruited for the first time at Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, local media outlets reported.

The species was found fruiting in the garden on May 12. The plant, aka the Putuo Hornbeam, belongs to the Betulaceae family. It is an endemic deciduous tree species in China and a first-class protected wild plant throughout the country.

There is only one known specimen of this species in the wild in the world. The only surviving mother plant, known as the "Single Child of the Earth", was discovered on Putuo Island in Zhejiang province in 1930. It was estimated to be 250 years old and not able to complete natural succession.

The plant was listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In 1987, the Species Survival Commission listed it as one of the 12 most endangered plant species in the world.

From 2006 to 2008, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden staff carried out research on the endangerment system and reproductive biology of Carpinus putoensis Cheng, and significantly improved the seed germination rate. They have raised nearly 200 seedlings, which were planted in suitable areas in the garden.

The seedling plants flowered for the first time in April 2021, after more than 10 years of meticulous care, however they did not bear fruit that year. This year, they flowered once again in April. On May 12, the maintenance staff discovered that roughly 30 percent of the plants had set fruit during daily monitoring. They will continue to keep an eye on fruit maturity and seed filling rates.

The ability of a plant to bloom and bear fruit in a botanical garden is a key indicator of the efficacy of ex situ plant conservation, which establishes the groundwork for the preservation of germplasm and population regeneration.

Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden staff are looking forward to working with nature reserves and local communities to find suitable habitats for the plants to return to the wild.

They also plan to establish plant monitoring stations in various suitable botanical gardens across the country to collect the reproductive materials and seeds of mutant specimens, and combine molecular biology methods to further screen specimens with genetic variation sites for key preservation to provide reference for the protection, rescue, and restoration of similar types of rare and endangered plants.

The Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden is a national 4A-level scenic spot and a member of the international community of botanical gardens, as well as a leading facility dedicated to the collection, conservation and cultivation of plants in China.

It is located in the Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort in Shanghai's Songjiang district.

Carpinus putoensis Cheng's fruit bud. [Photo/WeChat ID: sheshanlvyou]

Carpinus putoensis Cheng's young fruit bud and bracts. [Photo/WeChat ID: sheshanlvyou]