A group of researchers from Bengkulu University's school of agriculture has found and documented 160 orchid species in the region.
"Many orchids were discovered through search expeditions conducted since 2012 and that still continue today," Atra Romeida, one of the researchers involved, said in Bengkulu on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara news agency.
The discoveries, Atra added, were a surprise for the researchers and showed the natural wealth of Bengkulu's forests.
"Some of the orchids are categorized as endemic, meaning they only grow in a specific area, not elsewhere," Atra said.
To cultivate the newly discovered species, researchers together with the local Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) have prepared a location for germplasm conservation and mass breeding using plant tissue culture techniques.
