7 months ago
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Two botanists from Davangere University, Assistant Professor Siddappa B. Kakkalameli and probe student Prashant Karadakatti, person discovered 3 caller works taxon successful the Western Ghats portion of Karnataka. Their findings person been published successful planetary journals.
The 3 caller works taxon beryllium to the household Melastomataceae that turn successful circumstantial clime conditions. The discoveries were made during floristic explorations successful antithetic districts of the State during 2024-25. The caller discoveries person been published successful Asian Journal of Research successful Botany, Journal of Threatened Taxa and Phytotaxa and authenticated by International Plant Nomenclature Index (IPNI) and World Flora Online (WFO).
Botanists estimation beingness of astir 30,00,000 works taxon crossed the globe and truthful acold 2,50,000 taxon are known portion 27,50,000 taxon are to yet beryllium discovered.
Endemic to Western Ghats
According to Prof. Kakkalameli, the recently discovered works taxon beryllium to genus Sonerila Roxb of the Maelastomataceae family. According to the flora census from India, 46 works taxon of the genus Sonerila were reported successful India, of which 43 taxon are endemic to Western Ghats. Among them, 11 taxon person been reported earlier from Karnataka.
“Apart from the 3 recently identified species, we person recovered for the archetypal clip different taxon Sonerila konkanensis astatine Kavaledurga successful Shivamogga territory of Karnataka. This species, which was hitherto identified successful the South Goa region, has present been reported arsenic an summation to the authorities flora,” Prof. Kakkalameli told The Hindu.
Botanists from Davangere University, Assistant Professor Siddappa B. Kakkalameli and probe student Prashant Karadakatti, who person discovered 3 caller absorbing works taxon successful the Western Ghat portion of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
He said that his squad investigated each 3 caller Sonerila taxon comparing them with the existing species, similar Sonerila wallichii, Sonerila gadgiliana, and Sonerila grandis from Malaysia, which lucifer them successful characteristics of size, signifier of the leafage and numerical bloom characters. Such comparative investigation is done portion identifying and confirming find of caller species.
The names of the caller taxon are: Sonerila bababudangiriensis, Sonerila gigantea and Sonerila charmadiensis.
Sonerila bababudangiriensis (L) and Sonerila charmadiensis (R),two of 3 works taxon successful Western Ghats of Karnataka discovered by botanists from Davangere University. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Characteristics
Sonerila bababudangiriensis was discovered astatine the Baba Budangiri Hill scope successful Chikkamagaluru. It has unsocial characteristics similar lone 1 inflorescence successful each individual, resembling an existing taxon from Karnataka.
Sonerila gigantea was recovered successful the Mallalli Falls portion successful Kodagu. The works has the world’s astir acualescent (stemless) Sonerila. And the 3rd caller taxon Sonerila charmadiensis was discovered successful the Charmdi Ghat portion of Chikkamagaluru. The works has achromatic blotches with rhizhome arsenic resembling character.
Sonerila konkanensis, a taxon recovered for the archetypal clip astatine Kavaledurga successful Shivamogga territory of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
According to Prof. Kakkalameli, astir of the Sonerila distributed successful the Western Ghats regions were analysed thoroughly earlier arriving astatine the decision connected the caller discoveries.
The herbarium of the caller taxon is present disposable astatine Botany Department of Davangere University. “We person besides submitted different acceptable of herbarium of caller taxon to GKVK Bengaluru for aboriginal reference,” helium said.
