A grass roots expert

"It's tricky to categorize plants, not just by their appearance, root and branches and all, but through DNA analysis in some cases," he explains.

Some locals had empirically used the plant for treating stomach discomfort, although no medical research has proved the validity of such treatment.

After further studies, Gan and his teammates came to the conclusion that the plant was one that hadn't yet been recognized in academic circles.

"Its discovery will be helpful for future medical research and also the protection of the plant species," he says.

Gan's love of plants has spurred him to embark on a fruitful second career after retirement.

He has been intrigued by the power in plants since childhood, when he witnessed how some of his friends failed to resist the allure of the fragrant yet poisonous Coriaria nepalensis fruit and passed out after eating it. It was thanks to the timely delivery of a mysterious herbal cocktail concocted by local adults that his friends regained consciousness.

Plants kept casting a spell on him through other mundane affairs in the rural area.

"I watched some parents apply herbs to bee stings on their children, and it worked," Gan says.

From then on, he made a point of inquiring about those plants.

"I wanted to know which plants are edible, which ones are medicinal and which ones are poisonous," he says.

By the time he reached high school, he sought books about plants, including Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), an encyclopedic work of medicine and natural history written by Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"I wanted to be of some use, because doctors were rare in villages back then."

Gradually, he could identify more than 500 plants which boasted medicinal effects.

In 1972, Gan got a job at the county's publicity department and had been covering stories across the county. When he was in the mountains, he observed plants at close quarters. When he met locals suffering from various ailments and having difficulty finding a doctor, he helped them with his herbal knowledge.