Fly‑arousing orchid and zombie fungus named among 2025 botanical and fungal finds

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and partners named 125 new plant species in 2025 and highlighted 10 notable discoveries, including a fly‑attracting orchid, a spider‑infecting 'zombie' fungus, an overlooked snowdrop in UK gardens, and a banana‑and‑guava‑tasting fruit from Papua New Guinea.

Scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and international partners named 125 new plant species in 2025 and compiled a list of 10 particularly notable or unusual finds. The highlighted discoveries include a spider‑infecting fungus from Brazil that emerges through trapdoor burrows, an orchid from Ecuador whose flowers attract male flies, a tiny snowdrop long grown in UK gardens but traced to Mount Korab in the Balkans, a fruit from Papua New Guinea tasting of banana and guava, a bright orange‑red shrub named after a Studio Ghibli character, and a new red‑fruited palm from the Philippines. Researchers used portable genome sequencing in the field to help explain the fungus's life cycle. The scientists also stressed that many species remain undescribed and that discovery is occurring while habitats and species face ongoing threats. Key discoveries: - A total of 125 new plant species were named in 2025 by Kew and partners, and a list of 10 "weird and wonderful" species was highlighted. - A spider‑infecting fungus from Brazil infects trapdoor spiders, grows mycelium from their bodies and emerges through the spiders' trapdoor holes to release spores; its genome was partly decoded using portable field technology. - A bloodstained‑lip orchid from Ecuador attracts male flies for pollination and already has more than half of its habitat reported as destroyed from mining and agriculture. - A tiny snowdrop widely grown in the UK was traced to subalpine grasslands of Mount Korab and is reported as critically endangered in the wild due to small population size and collecting pressure. - An 18‑metre tree from Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, was named after a collector and is reported to bear round fruits described as tasting of banana and guava with an aftertaste of eucalyptus. - A bright orange‑red shrub from Peru was named after a character from Howl's Moving Castle, and an elegant red‑fruited palm from the Philippines was also described and noted as already familiar to local people. Summary: The reporting emphasizes both the richness of newly named plant and fungal life and the urgency of conservation, noting estimates of up to 100,000 undiscovered plant species and 2–3 million fungi species, with researchers naming around 2,500 plants a year on average. Scientists say many undescribed plants are already threatened and that, where possible, they will work with local partners to protect habitats or conserve seeds at national banks and at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank.