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During the year 2013 the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has discovered twenty nine new species to science. Out of these 29 species/varieties 20 are angiosperms, 8 fungi and 1 lichen. In addition 40 new records for India (species/ varieties) have been described during the year 2013. BSI is the apex research organisation under the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India for carrying out taxonomic and floristic studies on wild plant resources of the country through survey, documentation and conservation.
Species new to science discovered from India during the year 2013 listed below along with its family and reference.
Table 1:List of plant species new to science discovered from India during 2013
|
S.No
|
Species
|
Family
|
Reference
|
|
1
|
Caloplaca gyrophorica
|
Teloschistaceae
|
Jagadeesh, Y. Joshi & G.P. Sinha, 2013
|
|
2
|
Chrysosplenium arunachalense
|
Saxifragaceae
|
M. Bhaumik, 2014
|
|
3
|
Colocasia boyceana
|
Araceae
|
R. Gogoi & S. Borah, 2013
|
|
4
|
Colocasia dibangensis
|
Araceae
|
R. Gogoi & S. Borah, 2013
|
|
5
|
Colocasia lihengiae
|
Araceae
|
R. Gogoi & S. Borah, 2013
|
|
6
|
Eragrostis collinensis
|
Poaceae
|
C.P. Vivek, G.V.S. Murthy & V.J. Nair, 2013
|
|
7
|
Eragrostis minor Host var. rajasthanensis
|
Poaceae
|
C.P.Vivek, G.V.S.Murthy & V.J.Nair
|
|
8
|
Eriocaulon kannurense
|
Eriocaulaceae
|
Sunil et al, 2013
|
|
9
|
Galium kulluense
|
Rubiaceae
|
An.Kumar, Ranjan & S.C.Srivastava, 2013
|
|
10
|
Impatiens lohitensis
|
Balsaminaceae
|
Gogoi & Borah, 2013
|
|
11
|
Inonotus ryvardenii
|
Hymenochaetaceae
|
J. R. Sharma and D. Mishra
|
|
12
|
Kamalomyces mahabaleshwarensis
|
Tubeufiaceae
|
R.Dubey & A.M.Neelima, 2013
|
|
13
|
Lemna landoltii
|
Lemnaceae
|
Halder & Venu, 2013
|
|
14
|
Macrosolen andamanensis
|
Loranthaceae
|
Lal Ji Singh, 2013
|
|
15
|
Muhlenbergia rakchamesis
|
Poaceae
|
S. Arumugam, G.V.S.Murthy & V.J.Nair
|
|
16
|
Musa indandamanensis
|
Musaceae
|
Lal Ji Singh, 2014
|
|
17
|
Musa markkui
|
Musaceae
|
R. Gogoi & S. Borah, 2013
|
|
18
|
Musa puspanjaliae
|
Musaceae
|
R. Gogoi & Hakkinen, 2013
|
|
19
|
Poronia radicata
|
Xylariaceae
|
M.E.Hembrom, A.Parihar & K.Das, 2013
|
|
20
|
Pternopetalum arunachalense
|
Apiaceae
|
M. Bhaumik & P. Satyanar, 2013
|
|
21
|
Russula dubdiana
|
Russulaceae
|
K. Das, Atri & Buyck, 2013
|
|
22
|
Russula sharmae
|
Russulaceae
|
K. Das, Atri & Buyck, 2013
|
|
23
|
Russula sikkimensis
|
Russulaceae
|
K. Das, Atri & Buyck, 2013
|
|
24
|
Sonerila veldkampiana
|
Melastomataceae
|
Ratheesh Narayanan et al., 2013
|
|
25
|
Stachybotrys citri
|
Dematiaceae
|
R.Dubey & A.K.Pandey, 2013
|
|
26
|
Striga scottiana
|
Scrophulariaceae
|
Jeeva, Shynin. Brintha & Rasingam, 2012
|
|
27
|
Strobilomyces sikkimensis
|
Boletaceae
|
K. Das, 2014
|
|
28
|
Toxicodendron bimannii
|
Anacardiaceae
|
Barbhuiya, 2013
|
|
29
|
Volutella rauwolfii
|
Dematiaceae
|
R.Dubey & A.K.Pandey, 2013
|
Source: Annual Report 2013-14, MoE&F, Govt of India Text and Data Collation: www.indianbotanists.com
During the year maximum number of new records for a state or region were recorded for Arunachal Pradesh (53) followed by Andaman & Nicobar Island (20), Mizoram (16), Sikkim (14) and North East Region (4). 3 new species were recorded each for Bihar and Uttarakhand where as one new record for each was added for Himalayan region, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Table 2: New records of plant species for a region/state in India
|
S.No
|
States/Region
|
Number of Species Recorded
|
|
1
|
Himalayas
|
1
|
|
2
|
North East Region
|
4
|
|
3
|
Andaman & Nicobar Island
|
20
|
|
4
|
Arunachal Pradesh
|
53
|
|
5
|
Assam
|
1
|
|
6
|
Bihar
|
3
|
|
7
|
Goa
|
1
|
|
8
|
Gujarat
|
1
|
|
9
|
Maharashtra
|
1
|
|
10
|
Mizoram
|
16
|
|
11
|
Nagaland
|
1
|
|
12
|
Rajasthan
|
1
|
|
13
|
Sikkim
|
14
|
|
14
|
Tamil Nadu
|
1
|
|
15
|
Uttarakhand
|
3
|
|
16
|
West Bengal
|
1
|
Source: Annual Report 2013-14, MoE&F, Govt of India
Text and Data Collation: www.indianbotanists.com
The above data reflects that Arunachal Pradesh has maximum plant diversity in India. Further new records to science, for India and for any region or states emphasise that many more new species has to be discovered before it becomes extinct by means of road, dams and other infrastructure construction. Infrastructure development might have caused destruction of habitat of many plants before it is known to science.
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