Rungia longstachya | Photo Credit: By special arragement
A team of scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have reported the discovery of two new plant species from the evergreen forest patches in the southern end of the Western Ghats.
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The new species Musseanda conferta and Rungia longistachya were discovered during recent explorations by BSI scientists. The discoveries have been published in the recent issues of the journal Taiwania and Nelumbo, the official journal of the BSI.
Musseanda conferta was discovered by a team led by scientists K.A. Sujana and R.G.Vadhyar from the rocky areas of Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary and is related to the Musseanda hirsutisima family.
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The habitat in which the newly discovered species grows is so specific; as it prefers the vicinity of rocks in the high-altitude grassland ecosystems. It has attractive flowers and the ornamental potential of this plant can be explored, says Dr. Sujana .
Rungia longstachya belongs to the family of Acanthaceae and was discovered by another team led by Basil Paul, senior preservation assistant, and C. Murugan, scientist, from the moist places of Anamalai regions near the Idukki dam site in Kerala.
The plant is a herb and reaches height of up to 50 cm and grows in the margins of evergreen forests. Only eleven species of Rungia have been reported from the Western Ghats and the newly discovered plant has got distinct narrow long spike with long slender peduncle and light pinkish white flowers, says Mr. Paul.
The medicinal values and ornamental potential of the plant have not been studied; however, closely related species such as Justicia adhathoda has got many medicinal values, says Mr. Paul.