10-Oct-2020: Plant Discoveries 2019
Plant Discoveries 2019 lists 180 new plant species and 73 new records discovered from the country.
New records in a country refer to animal or plant species discovered in other parts of the world and recorded for the first time in the country.
This volume of plant discoveries contains 134 seed plants; five fern and fern allies; six bryophytes; 18 lichen; 51 fungi; 23 algae; and 16 microbes. During 2019, vascular plants contributed to 55% of all new discoveries and new records, while non-vascular plants contributed to 45%.
Dr. Mao said that among the new discoveries this year, there are plants with horticultural value as well as those which can serve as alternative foods such as aroids, Syzygium (wild jamun), impatiens, mushrooms and zingibers, among others.
The number of plant species found in India according to the BSI is 50,012, and accounts roughly for 12% of all flora species in the world.
Both the ZSI and BSI have been releasing Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries since 2007, and this is the 13th publication in the series. Data analysis from the past decade reveals that a total of 2,444 species of faunal communities are newly described from India, while the number of plant species described in the same period is about 3,500.
Most of the new discoveries were reported from biogeography hotspots in the country. Data provided by the BSI stated that 28% of all plant discoveries in 2018 were made from the Western Ghats during 2019; followed by the eastern Himalayas (21%); the east coast (11%); and eastern plains (10%). The west coast has contributed 7% of the total discoveries, while the western Himalayas have contributed 6% of the discoveries. Maximum (flora) discoveries were made from the State of Kerala, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh.
6-Jun-2019: Plant Discoveries 2018
Scientists and taxonomists have documented 596 new species of flora and fauna from India in the year 2018. The details of the discoveries were made public by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) in the publications Plant Discoveries 2018.
Of the 596 species, 372 come under fauna (311 invertebrates and 61 vertebrates). The newly identified 224 plant species include seed plants, pteridophytes, bryophytes, fungi and lichen.
About 31% of the plant species were discovered in the Himalayas. The plants discovered this year includes close wild relatives of many potential horticulture, agriculture, medicinal and ornamental plants. The discoveries include plants belonging to groups Amomum (wild cardamom), Cycads, Rubus (raspberry), Syzygium (wild jamun), Terminalia, Balsams, Zingibers and also seven trees and 10 orchids.
BSI has placed emphasis on molecular DNA technology and phylogeny to confirm the discoveries.
The number of plant species in the country has been updated to 49,441 which is 11.5% of all flora in the world. Over the past ten years, BSI has recorded discovery of 3,225 plant species. Other than the discoveries, 193 taxa of plants were added to flora of India as new records.
Last year, 539 new species of plants and animals were discovered, which included 300 species of animals and 239 species and sub-species of plants.