Out of 19,156 species of vascular plants (Angiosperms, Gymnosperms, Pteridophytes) so far recorded from India, 1236 species belong to different threatened categories like Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, etc. Out of these, following 17 species of plants are considered as possibly extinct as they have not been collected from wild for more than last fifty years :
- Isoetes dixitii Shende,
- Isoetes sampthkumarnii L.N. Rao,
- Selaginella cataractarumAlston,
- Lastreopsis wattii (Bedd.) C. Chr.,
- Ophiorrhiza brunonis Wight & Arn.,
- Ophiorhiza caudata C. Fischer,
- Ophiorrhiza radicans Gardn.,
- Wenlandia angustifoliaWight,
- Sterculia khasiana Deb,
- Carex repanda C.B. Clarke,
- Eragrostis rottleri Stapf ,
- Eriochrysis rangacharii C.B. Clarke,
- Dipcadi concanense (Dalz.) Baker,
- Dipcadi reidii Deb & Dasgupta,
- Urginea polyphylla Hook. f.,
- Corypha taliera Roxb.,
- Hedychium marginatum C.B. Clarke
This was stated by ShrimatiJayanthiNatarajan Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, in the LokSabha on Monday, March 4th 2013.
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Source: http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx (Press Information Bureau)
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