Nagpur: New plant species discovered in Maharashtra’s Pench Tiger Reserve

Nagpur: A new plant species of Polygonum genus has been discovered in Gol Pahdi Island of Panch Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra during a survey, a forest official has claimed. PTR Deputy Director Dr. Prabhu Nath Shukla said that a floristic survey was conducted over a year during which 863 plant species belonging to 554 genera and 117 families were found. One of the surveyors, Dr. K Chandramohan said, “A new plant species named Polygonum chaturbhujanam has been discovered in Gol Pahdi Island of PTR. It is a herb.” Six plant species endemic to India have also been found in Pench. They are Aegineta Indica, Boerhavia Crispa, Habenaria Gibsonii var Foetida, Iphigenia Pallida, Petalidium Barlerioides and Barleria Gibsoniii, Shukla said in a release. Of the various species reported during the survey, 294 are herbs, 157 natural trees, 131 climbers, 131 grasses, 52 shrubs and the remaining are avenue trees and epiphytic plants, the release said. “The high rate of biodiversity found in grass species is very interesting as Pench does not have extensive grasslands and most of the grasses are under the canopy,” it said. Among the reported species, 46 species are indigenous to India, while 32 plant species are of rare distribution and six plant species are strictly endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Information obtained from such surveys can help monitor populations and track how species respond to disturbances in their environments, the official said. Ultimately, these surveys can help maintain ecosystem balance, he said. According to a botanical study of Nagpur district in 1986, there are 1,136 plant species belonging to 669 genera and 142 families. Pench represents about 5.8 per cent of the floral diversity of the entire country, comprising 45,000 plant species, representing about 7 per cent of the world’s flora and including more than 15,000 flowering plants, the release said Is. The survey was conducted with technical assistance from the Forest Survey of India.