Flora

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New species of sun rose found in the Eastern Ghats

New species of the sun rose found in the Eastern Ghats Botanists have discovered a new species of the wild sun rose from the Eastern Ghats in India. The new species, named Portulaca laljii, discovered in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh has unique features such as a tuberous root, no hair in its leaf axils, a reddish pink flower, prolateshaped fruits, and copper brown seeds without lustre. These morphological features distinguish the species from other species of genu

Dragonfruit renamed as 'Kamalam'

Dragonfruit renamed as 'Kamalam' The Gujarat government has decided to rename the dragon fruit as ‘kamalam’, and comments have flooded the Internet and social media platforms. According to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, the fruit’s outer shape resembles a lotus, which is also the election symbol of the BJP. “We have applied for a patent of the dragon fruit to be called ‘kamalam’, Mr Rupani said at the launch of the Chief Minister Hort

Himalayan trillium

Himalayan trillium Trillium govanianum- the Himalayan herb is often called Nagchatri in local areas. It is found in temperate and sub-alpine zones of the Himalayas at an altitude from 2,400-4,000 metres above sea level. In India, it is found in four states only - Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed Himalayan trillium in “Endangered” category. Its population is expected t

Tree City Status to Hyderabad

Tree City Status to Hyderabad Hyderabad city has the ‘Tree Cities of the World’ status by the Arbor Day Foundation jointly with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. It is the only city in India to have been selected for this recognition for its commitment to growing and maintaining urban and community forestry. Hyderabad applied for this recognition, citing the State government’s Haritha Haram programme and its initiative for the Urban Forest Parks.

Miyawaki Technique

Miyawaki Technique In a year, a patch of land in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs has become a testament to creating the “urban forests” through the Miyawaki technique. Miyawaki is an afforestation technique to create urban forests based on the work of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki in the 1980s. Miyawaki forests are tiny forests grown on small plots of land in 2 to 3 years and are self-sustaining, like how a forest is. Three layers of greens - shrubs and undergrowth

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 s

Campaign for Medicinal Plants on 75000 ha of land

Campaign for Medicinal Plants on 75000 ha of land The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH has launched a national campaign to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants in the country as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. This will help in increasing the income of farmers and realize the dream of Green India. Under this campaign, the cultivation of medicinal plants will be done on 75,000 hectares of land in the next year across the country. The program has

Plant Discoveries 2020

Plant Discoveries 2020 The Botanical Survey of India, in its new publication Plant Discoveries 2020 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. With these new discoveries, the latest estimate of plant diversity in India stands at 54,733 taxa inc

Indian Virtual Herbarium

Indian Virtual Herbarium Indian Virtual Herbarium is attracting a lot of attention and is proving to be an intriguing project. About Indian virtual herbarium It is a database of dried plants. Indian Virtual Herbarium is an interesting collection of plants and preserved parts of plants. The virtual herbarium also presents a rich botanical diversity of the country. In addition to digital images of the herbarium specimens, the label data for each species includes a

Sandalwood Spike Diseases

Sandalwood Spike Diseases A recent study found that Sandalwood Spike Disease (SSD) is a serious threat to commercial sandalwood cultivation. About Sandalwood Spike Disease: It is a plant-borne infectious disease caused by phytoplasma. Phytoplasmas are plant-parasitic bacteria that are transmitted by insect vectors and involved in plant-to-plant transmission. There is currently no cure for the infection. To prevent the spread of the disease, the only option is to cut do

Muli Bamboo

Muli Bamboo A recent research study observed and recorded a wide range of animal visitors/predators drawn to the fruit and flowers of Muli Bamboo (Melocanna baccifera). The study discovered that predation is primarily caused by the high sugar content. It was also reported that a bamboo clump of this species produced the most fruit ever. What is Muli Bamboo? Muli is a tropical evergreen bamboo species. It is the largest fruit-producing bamboo and is indigenous to northe

Rhododendron

Rhododendron Recently, the Botanical Survey of India has published a new report titled 'Rhododendrons of Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalaya- An Illustrated Account', which lists 45 taxa of rhododendrons. About rhododendrons: An estimated 1,000 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhododendron are native to temperate Asia, North America, and Europe as well as tropical Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Many kinds are well-liked decorative plants in gardens and parks

Pantoea Tagorei

Pantoea Tagorei is a Gram-negative, short-rod, non-motile, facultatively anaerobic, potassium-solubilizing bacterium. The bacteria promotes plant growth and is being used in organic farming. It solubilizes potassium, replenishes nitrogen, and solubilizes phosphorus. It was discovered by a team of microbiologists from Visva Bharati University and named after Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and his son, Rathindranath.