Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
New Plant Species Fimbristylis Agasthyamalaensis Discovered In Western Ghats
New Plant Species Fimbristylis Agasthyamalaensis Discovered In Western Ghats- Details, Species Family, Features
Classified as sedge, the grass plant-like species called ‘Fimbristylis Agasthyamalaensis’got recently discovered by researchers within the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
The Fimbristylis Agasthyamalaensis plant species was found in Ponmudi hills, Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala in India.
The Fimbristylis Agasthyamalaensis plant belongs to the Cyperaceae family. Its flowering and fruiting were observed from October to March in India.
Cyperaceae family is represented by 122 species, of which 87 are reported from the Western Ghats. Many of the known Cyperaceae species are medicinal plants or utilised as fodder.
The Fimbristylis Agasthyamalaensis is highly open to wild grazing. It also hosts to anthropogenic pressures as its habitat falls within tourism spot and perimeter of a place of worship that could lead to its extinction in absence of scientific conservation.
Researchers have recommended preliminary conservation assessment of plant as ‘critically endangered,’ according to the International Union for Conservation (IUCN) standards.
Researchers include Post-doctoral fellow A.R.Viji and Assistant Professor T.S.Preetha, carried out the survey as a part of a project funded by the Women Scientists Division of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE).
