New Critically Endangered Tree species discovered in Andaman Islands

New Critically Endangered Tree species discovered in the Andaman Islands

A 15-metre-tall tree that belongs to the genus of the coffee family has recently been discovered in the Andaman Islands by a team of researchers from India and the Philippines.
The new species, Pyrostria laljii, is also the first record of the genus Pyrostria in India, the researchers said.
Plants belonging to the genus Pyrostria are usually found in Madagascar, but the recently discovered species is new to science.
The tree is distinguished by a long stem with a whitish coating on the trunk and oblong-obovate leaves with a cuneate base and was first reported from the Wandoor forest in South Andaman.
The other places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where the tree could be located are the Tirur forest near the Jarawa Reserve Forest and the Chidia Tapu (Munda Pahar) forest.
Pyrostria laljii has been assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List criteria.
While the genus Pyrostria is not found in India, there are several genera from the family Rubiaceae that are common in India.
These plants, including cinchona, coffee, Adina, hamelia, Ixora, galium, gardenia, mussaenda, rubia, morinda, have a high potential for economic value. More studies should be carried out to ascertain whether Pyrostria laljii could have some economic value.
Another physical feature that distinguishes the tree from other species of the genus is its umbellate inflorescence with eight to 12 flowers.

Source: TH

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