Plant Discoveries 2020 : BSI

Context

  • Recently, the Botanical Survey of India(BSI) has published a report on Plant Discoveries 2020.

Key Findings of Plant Discoveries 2020

  • In its recent report, BSI has added 267 new taxa/ species to the country’s flora. 
  • The 267 new discoveries include 119 angiosperms; 3 pteridophytes; 5 bryophytes, 44 lichens; 57 fungi, 21 algae and 18 microbes.
  • In 2020, 202 new plant species were discovered across the country and 65 new records were added.
  • Among the new discoveries this year, nine new species of balsams (Impatiens) one species of wild banana (Musa pradhanii) were discovered from Darjeeling, one species each of wild jamun (Sygygium anamalaianum) from Coimbatore and fern species (Selaginella odishana) were recorded from Kandhamal in Odisha. 

    Plant Discoveries 2020
    Source: The Hindu
  • There are 14 new macro and 31 new micro fungi species recorded from various parts of India.
  • This year one new monogeneric family Hanguanaceae has been recorded for the first time from India.
  • As per BSI, during the last decade a total number of 3,245 taxa of plants from different plant groups have been discovered from India. 
  • Most discoveries have been made from seed plants, with 1,199 (37%) taxa, followed by fungi 894 (27%).
  • 22% of the discoveries were made from the Western Ghats followed by Western Himalayas (15%), Eastern Himalayas (14%) and Northeast Ranges (12%). 
  • The West coast contributed 10% while the East Coast contributed (9%) in total discoveries; Eastern Ghats and South Deccan contributed 4% of each while Central Highland and North Deccan added 3% each.
  • India being a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is committed to work towards the prime objective of Global Strategy of Plant Conservation and the newly discovered species may offer potential source of wild edible plants, traditional drugs, cosmetics and wild relative of crop plants.
  • This year one new monogeneric family Hanguanaceae has been recorded for the first time from India

Back to Basics

About Botanical Survey of India (BSI) 

  1. It is the apex research organization under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEFCC) 
  2. It carries out taxonomic and floristic studies on wild plant resources of the country.
  3. It was established in 1890 
  4. It has nine regional circles 
  5. Headquarter in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Source: The Hindu

Species in News UPSC 2021 : Click Here

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