Context:

• Threatened wildlife is not just about tigers but numerous plants too. Recently, scientists identified the threat status of 59 Indian plant species based on criteria used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in the hope that this “streamlines” conservation efforts for the plants.

Indian species remain neglected

1. Around 2,700 plant species in India are at risk but very few have been assessed by the IUCN.
2. To bridge this gap Scientists from Lucknow and from several institutes prioritized 59 plant species that are at risk of “elimination” if the threat levels they face are not assessed soon.
3. The threat levels of some plants have been altered as a result; for instance the palm Bentinckia nicobarica is currently listed as endangered.
4. The study also generated data on 38 species that have never been assessed by the IUCN.