This plant species is so rare that many people compare finding it to searching for a needle in a haystack.
A Unique Plant Species in Vietnam
In Vietnam, there exists a truly unique plant species known as the one-leaf plant.
The scientific name of the one-leaf plant is Nervilia fordii (Hance) Schultze, belonging to the Orchidaceae family. This genus consists of fascinating plant species that share a common trait of having only one leaf throughout their life cycle. It is also referred to as Thanh Thien Quy, Lan Mot La, Lan Co, Chau Diep, Slam Lai, Bua Thoc (Tày), Bầu Thoc…
These are perennial herbaceous plants with round or oval tubers, heart-shaped leaves displaying fan-like veins, emerging from a stalk connected to the root tuber. The one-leaf orchid produces one or two flowers from an upright stem. Interestingly, the plant does not have leaves when it blooms; the leaf only begins to grow after the flowers have completely bloomed.
In Vietnam, five species of one-leaf orchids have been recorded.
Currently, around 80 species of one-leaf orchids have been discovered, widely distributed across mainland Africa, Asia, and various islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The one-leaf plant regenerates naturally through its tubers, which means that in a natural group, there are often many plants of different ages.
In Vietnam, five species of one-leaf orchids have been documented, including Nervilia aragoana, Nervilia crispata, Nervilia fordii, Nervilia plicata, and Nervilia prainiana. This plant species is commonly found in limestone mountainous regions and moist areas at the foot of mountains. They typically grow in provinces like Lào Cai, Hòa Bình, Ninh Bình, Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Hà Tây, Sơn La, Lai Châu,…
In folk medicine, for a long time, the one-leaf orchid has been considered a valuable medicinal plant. All parts of the one-leaf plant can be used for medicinal purposes, either fresh or dried.
According to the book “Medicinal Plants and Animal Medicines in Vietnam, Volume 1, Science and Technology Publishing House, Hanoi”, the leaves and tubers of the one-leaf plant have a mild sweetness, slight bitterness, are neutral and cool in nature, and have effects such as clearing heat, moistening the lungs, reducing cough, dissipating blood stasis, detoxifying, and alleviating pain. The leaves and the plant are also used as antidotes, especially for mushroom poisoning, cooling the lungs, treating tuberculosis, chronic cough, and bronchitis. Chewing fresh tubers helps quench thirst and nourish the body.
Close-up of the one-leaf plant tuber. (Photo: Internet).
Globally, several studies have been conducted on the chemical composition and biological activity of compounds extracted from the one-leaf plant. Results indicate that the one-leaf plant contains terpenoids, flavonoids, amino acids, and various volatile oils. These compounds exhibit pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, analgesic, cough-reducing, asthma-relieving, and treating chronic bronchitis, acute pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease… Currently, the one-leaf plant is being researched for its potential treatment of lung cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer. With its high economic and medicinal value, the one-leaf plant is considered one of the species that require priority for conservation of its rare genetic resources.
Experts recommend that when harvesting, to protect the plant, one should either harvest the entire plant or only the leaves, leaving the tubers for the plant’s growth. The leaves can be harvested year-round and can be used fresh or dried. When harvesting, separate the large leaves from the small ones for processing.
The “Rare and Hard to Find” Plant
According to the newspaper An Ninh Thu Do, the one-leaf plant is valuable for its medicinal properties, thus it is primarily used for export, with very little domestic use. For this reason, many local residents in areas where the one-leaf plant grows rarely have the opportunity to see it. Many even believe that finding the one-leaf plant is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
However, the one-leaf plant is often confused with the eight-angle plant (Dysosma chengii) as it is also a tuberous plant with a single leaf. However, the leaves of the eight-angle plant are six-sided, while the one-leaf plant has heart-shaped leaves. In fact, many people confuse the one-leaf plant with Plantago leaves.
Due to its valuable medicinal properties, it is mainly used for export, and very few local residents have the opportunity to see it. (Photo: Internet).
In addition to its medicinal use, the one-leaf plant is also favored by plant enthusiasts worldwide for its uniqueness and rarity.
According to the Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology, the population of the one-leaf plant in the wild in Vietnam is declining due to overexploitation. The natural occurrence of the one-leaf plant is limited (in Pù Mát National Park, there are only 10-15 plants per 100m2), making this plant rare and at risk of extinction. The one-leaf plant is listed among the species that need protection in the “Red Book of Vietnam.”
Research and Conservation of the Rare Plant Species
According to the Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology, researchers are currently breeding this rare plant species in Lạng Sơn. Lạng Sơn is a province with favorable climatic conditions, soil, and terrain for the growth and development of many rare medicinal genetic resources, including the one-leaf plant. The Institute for Research and Regional Development has undertaken the task of “Researching the Conservation and Development of the One-Leaf Plant Gene.” in Lạng Sơn province to collect and preserve the gene resources of the one-leaf plant, establish methods for storage, preservation, revival, and breeding of this gene; and develop models for the conservation, exploitation, and development of this precious genetic resource to support local socio-economic development.
Researchers are currently breeding to conserve this rare plant species. (Photo: Internet).
Studies on the propagation techniques of the one-leaf plant indicate that the best planting season is from March to April each year (with a survival rate of 96.0-96.7% and a germination rate of 87.33-95.3%). The size of the tuber significantly affects the growth of the one-leaf plant. Tuber seeds with a diameter from 1.0 to over 2.0 cm yield high germination rates (87.33-97.33%).
Due to overexploitation, the population of one-leaf orchids in the wild in Vietnam is continuously declining. Research for the breeding of this valuable plant species has been conducted in recent years.
