A team of researchers from the Pedro Ruiz Gallo National University, the National Forest and Wildlife Service (Serfor) which belongs to the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri), the University of Cambridge, and the Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza National University has discovered a new species of orchid in the high-Andean ecosystems and high-montane forests of the Yunga region in northern Peru.
The new orchid has been named *Lepanthes phuyupitika*—a name derived from the Quechua words *phuyupi* ("among the clouds" or "in the mist") and *t'ika* ("flower")—which together mean "flower among the clouds," in reference to the species' natural habitat.
The discovery was the result of a research process that included botanical explorations, scientific specimen collection, morphological analysis, and conservation assessments. The findings were published on October 21 in the international, indexed scientific journal *Lankesteriana*.
William Nauray, a wild flora specialist at Serfor’s Directorate of Studies and Research—who was part of the scientific team—reported that he and Edicson Parra-Sánchez, a researcher at Christ’s College, University of Cambridge (UK), conducted an expedition last May to the provinces of Huancabamba and Ayabaca, in the Piura region, with the goal of documenting orchid diversity.
“The work involved eight days of exploration, with demanding days of hiking—often exceeding seven hours—to assess ten locations with distinct ecological characteristics", explained Nauray, from SERFOR.
"One of the areas explored was the vicinity of the Huaringas lagoons, in the El Carmen de la Frontera district, Huancabamba province—a region featuring extraordinary mountain landscapes, vast grasslands, and Yungas forests frequently shrouded in mist,”, he added.
In this ecosystem, the researchers documented a small orchid with reddish flowers growing on damp rocky substrates at an altitude of approximately 3,500 meters.
The specimen that enabled the formal description of the new species has been deposited in the Herbarium of the National University of San Marcos.
The new orchid species was recorded at two locations—in the regions of Piura and Amazonas—where approximately 25 mature specimens have been documented.
Its known distribution is very limited, and its habitats face threats linked to recurring grassland fires and livestock grazing.
This discovery underscores the importance of continuing botanical exploration and monitoring wild populations, as well as generating scientific data to help guide conservation efforts for the high-Andean ecosystems and Yungas forests of northern Peru—habitats that also support other wildlife, such as the spectacled bear.
The research team consisted of Luis Ocupa-Horna, from the environmental consultancy firm SUMPA and the Pedro Ruiz Gallo National University; William Nauray, from SERFOR; Edicson Parra-Sánchez, from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom); and José Edquén, from the Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza National University of Amazonas. Serfor, as the National Forestry and Wildlife Authority, promotes scientific research and the generation of knowledge regarding the country’s wild flora, while strengthening collaboration with national and international academic institutions.
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(END) NDP/LZD / MDV
Published: 10/28/2026