The National Parks Conservation Association is petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the ghost orchid under the Endangered Species Act.
The National Parks Conservation Association submitted their petition to the USFWS Jan. 24 asking for the protection of the ghost orchid, a rare flower endemic to Florida, according to a report by National Parks Traveler.
“The ghost orchid is the rare plant species that captures just as much attention as some charismatic megafauna in the state of Florida," said Melissa Abdo, Ph.D., regional director at NPCA in the report. "This mysterious, beautiful plant captivates Floridians, reminding them of our state’s unique, wild heritage."
According to the National Parks Service, the ghost orchid is found in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Found only in Florida and Cuba, the rarely seen flower is now protected in many public land areas in South Florida. It can be characterized by its tangled mass of green roots that cling to the trunks of various tree species including cypress, pond apple, and maple, as well as its thin white markings that dot its roots.
“The ghost orchid is an icon of beauty and nature’s abundance,” said George Gann, executive director at the Institute for Regional Conservation, according to National Parks Traveler. “It's long demise in southern Florida and Cuba, in part due to its immense popularity, is a bellwether of things to come. We can do nothing and watch another species go extinct in the wild, or we can act now to protect and restore this flagship orchid and its wild habitats. The Florida we envision includes a restored greater Everglades ecosystem with all of its biological diversity, including the ghost orchid.”
Habitat destruction and hydrologic changes due to human development in South Florida have been key players in the declining population of ghost orchids, according to the report.
