A grass roots expert

"There may be more plants waiting to be discovered or for their existence to be proved, as recounted by our ancestors," he says.

In March 2007, he hit the road again. It led to a discovery of more than 1,400 plants, all of which he wrote about in a 2011 supplement to Flora of Zhuxi.

Among the newly found species, the Primula filchnerae that had once been considered extinct and the Berchemiella wilsonii that had not been seen for nearly a century took academia by storm.

According to experts, his efforts have not just enhanced the record of plants in Zhuxi, but enriched the collection of plants in China and the rest of the world.

His years of experience in the natural environment has also impelled him to help raise public awareness of wildlife protection.

"Biodiversity preservation should start from a tuft of grass," he says, adding that it would mean a lot for ecological balance, if more people are more aware of it.

Because of his work, Zhuxi county has set up three natural reserves, a national forest park and a national wetland protection area.

From a layman without any academic qualifications under his belt, botanist Gan has certainly made his presence felt. Yet, he doesn't consider himself a scholar or a doctor.

"I'm just a big fan of plants and an adventurer in the botanical world," he says.