Visitors to Kew Gardens can now discover some of the world's rarest and most unusual plant species as part of a new exhibition highlighting the growing threat to global biodiversity.

The new pop-up display, which opened today (20 May), has transformed an orchid display cabinet inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory into a showcase of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) plants.

The exhibition brings together a collection of species, many of which are not usually on public display, while highlighting the conservation work being carried out by Kew scientists and horticulturalists.

Among the unusual plants visitors can see are the Blue Amaryllis, also known as the Empress of Brazil, one of the rarest members of its family, the endangered Pseudohydrosme gabunensis ,a plant known for its powerful smell and the "cabbage on a stick" or vulcan palm, which is now extinct in the wild.

Other species featured include the Albany pitcher plant, which is the sole surviving member of its plant family, and Vanilla planifolia, the main source of vanilla and one of the world's most valuable spices.

The exhibition follows newly published research involving Kew experts which found that more than a fifth of flowering plant evolutionary history is now at risk of extinction.

Tom Pickering, Head of Glasshouses Collections at Kew, said: "The goal of this exhibition is to show our visitors that botanic gardens hold valuable living collections of conservation importance.

"Global biodiversity is vanishing before our eyes, and some of the most remarkable plant species on Earth face an uncertain future."

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He added that growing and studying these plants may be key to preventing species from disappearing altogether.

Kew currently holds more than 16,500 different plant species in its Living Collections, with more than 500 identified as EDGE species.

Visitors exploring beyond the exhibition can also spot rare species elsewhere across the gardens, including the Wollemi pine, Ginkgo biloba and the iconic Monkey puzzle tree near the Orangery.

Dr Félix Forest, who led the recent research, said the work provides vital information to identify threatened species that may otherwise be overlooked.

The exhibition is included with admission to Kew Gardens and runs inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory. To find out more click here.

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