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y l a m i n /A H a u e n s t e r s : U s p r e a d i o u s y ; p r e v l a m R M /A l t u r a C u y, l a m f t /A r a KJ e s s e y, l a m i c t u r e s /A Pi n d e n M E s c o b a r, P é r e z j a n d r o l e : O s c a r A P h o t o s Behind the scenes in Kew’s Tropical Nursery, a sprinkler hisses fine mist across the benches packed with greenery. Here, in the warmth and humidity, the horticultural team is nurturing plants from Central and South America. Some of the more unusual of these are orchids from Colombia – one has tiny white flowers that are like miniature birds’ beaks, another sports waxy, fragrant blooms, and a third catches the eye with butterfly-like cerise flowers. Many of these orchids are being prepared for a trip to Kew’s Princess of Wales Conservatory to be the stars of the show for our 2019 orchid festival. They offer a tantalising glimpse of the riches that make up Colombia’s littlestudied flora, the focus of the festival and an important part of Kew’s conservation work. Colombia is home to an astonishing array of plants and fungi. It is second only to Brazil in the world ranking of plant biodiversity, with over 20,000 known species. However, because civil war kept botanists at bay for decades, until 2016, there may actually be thousands more – and Kew’s scientists and horticulturists are keen to help their Colombian partners discover them all. Even on a quick trip to the country last April, our botanists found four new orchid species, and they know that’s just the beginning. Studying and conserving Colombia’s plant life is a priority, because as yet unknown species could yield new medicines, foods, energy sources and other useful products. This biodiverse country features a particularly wide range of habitats, from coastal mangrove swamps and lowland savanna to rainforests and the alpine páramo of the Andes. Each offers stunning landscapes and a multitude of unique plants. Orchids are particularly adept at exploiting different niches within a habitat, so it’s not surprising that this country has the highest level of orchid biodiversity in the world, with 4,270 native species (the UK has just over 50). Many orchids grow not in the ground but perched on other plants (they’re known as epiphytes), extracting water and nutrients from the air and from organic debris around them. ‘In the tropics there are changes in temperature and humidity just between the base and the top of a tree,’ explains Kew’s orchid researcher Oscar Alejandro Pérez-Escobar, ‘Orchids manage to exploit these different micro-environments.’ Oscar and colleagues are trying to identify what has driven the evolution of so many orchid species in the Andes. Their ultimate goal is to create a family tree showing how the various species This new species of Epidendrum orchid was found by Kew botanists in an area that was previously inaccessible due to the presence of armed rebels relate to each other. Kew is currently involved in nine projects in Colombia, working with local partners to study and record the largely undocumented plants and fungi in several regions, and bank the seeds of native species to ensure their survival. These projects are part of the Colombia Bio programme, established by the Colombian government (see Why Kew is working in Colombia on p31). This fiveyear initiative, which is a collaboration of several Colombian and UK partners, seeks to drive the development of a green economy based on the sustainable use of the nation’s natural resources. In recent years, the Colombian government has been working hard to preserve its natural wonders. President Santos (who was in power until last August) extended the country’s protected 28 KEW SPRING 2019 KEW.ORG

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