A Chinese Naturalist Posts the First Erismanthus sinensis Plant to iNat! - Observation of the Week, 6/29/21

Our Observation of the Week is the first Erismanthus sinensis (轴花木 in Chinese (simplified)) plant posted to iNat! Seen in China by @qin_huang!

While he studied at Zhejiang University’s Energy Department, Qin Huang tells me “I was more interested in nature and participated in many nature activities, such as Green Camp China 2007, in Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve.” After graduation, Qin found work in Doctor Shuihua Chen's team at the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, mostly studying birds “such as Light-vented Bulbul, the Chinese Blackbird in urbanized environments, and also some very rare seabirds such as Chinese Egret and Chinese Crested Tern on small offshore islands in Zhoushan and Jiushan City” 

He’s since done research and conservation work at the Biological Museum of Sun Yat-Sen University and 

from the end of 2016, I had a great opportunity to be an ecological tour leader and I had the chance to travel to many countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Uganda, New Zealand, Australia. My favorite country is Malaysia. I have been there eight times and encountered wild Malay tapirs, Malay Bears, Asian elephants, Horsfield's tarsier, Orangutans, Helmeted hornbills, etc. In 2017, we had a wonderful journey to New Zealand, and encountered one Southern Brown Kiwi on Stewart Island. During that journey, my local friend introduced me to iNaturalist.

Now residing in Shenzhen, China, Qin participates in biodiversity surveys, makes trail signs, and shoots nature documentaries. It was while filming a ten minute documentary at the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park this past March where he and his team came across an Erismanthus sinensis plant blooming near a waterfall in Bawangling National Natural Reserve.

The flowers are very beautiful, like natural earrings. We couldn’t help but spend maybe ten minutes taking pictures. Now my friend Wucheng, a jewelry designer, is working to turn its flower image into art jewelry, so that more people can know its beauty.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find much information about this species online, but Qin notes it’s one of only two species in its genus (the other is Erismanthus obliquus). It’s found in Southeast Asia and can grow from 3 to 11 meters tall. 

Since joining iNat in 2018, Qin (above, in Qinghai Province) has uploaded over ten thousand observations to iNaturalist, from China and all over the world, and tells me 

Through this platform, I have expanded my understanding and knowledge of nature, communicating with nature lovers from all over the world. Although it is not big enough, it is also a window for more people to understand the wildness of China.

Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and flow. Photo of Qin Huang by Demeng Jiang.

- is a member of Family Euphorbiaceae, check out the most-faved observations of this plant family!

- Bawangling National Nature Reserve is the only home to the Hainan gibbon, perhaps the rarest primate on the planet.

Posted on June 29, 2021 11:46 PM by tiwane