CHENGDU, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Some rare quillwort species have been found in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The Isoetes hypsophila, a Chinese endemic alpine quillwort species, was discovered in a nature reserve in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, according to Sichuan's provincial bureau of forestry and grassland.

Huang Wenjun, a member of the surveying team that found the species, said the quillwort was found in a river valley about 4,000 meters above sea level.

"Six such plants were found in two separate areas," Huang said. As the area has no human activities, no extra protection measures are needed for the species, he said.

The Isoetes hypsophila is the rarest species of quillwort, which is under Class-I national protection. The plants have been found in high-altitude wetlands, lakes, and marshlands in Sichuan and Yunnan.