Scientists from Agharkar research institute, Pune (ARI) discovered two new species of ‘pipeworts’ in the Western ghats of Maharashtra and Karnataka – one of the 35 hotspots of biological diversity in the world. These new species belong to a plant group known for their varied medicinal properties. It completes its life cycle within a small period during monsoon, and exhibits the great diversity of the Western ghats, with 111 species in India.
Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, found these new species while exploring the biodiversity of the ghats. They wanted to trace the evolutionary history of the genus Eriocaulon and made extensive efforts to collect as many species as possible from India, especially from the Western ghats.
“While critically examining our collection, we came across two accessions, which showed different floral characters than earlier known species. Hence, we studied morphology and its DNA to confirm the novelty,” said Ritesh Kumar Choudhary, lead author of the study.
“Identification of the species belonging to Eriocaulon is very difficult as they all look similar, which is why the genus is often referred to as ‘Taxonomist’s nightmare’. Its tiny flowers and seeds make it difficult to distinguish between different species,” Choudhary pointed out.
Their study was published in the journals ‘Phytotaxa’ and ‘Annales Botanici Fennici’.
{{/usCountry}}Their study was published in the journals ‘Phytotaxa’ and ‘Annales Botanici Fennici’.
{{/usCountry}}The one reported from Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra was named as Eriocaulon parvicephalum (due to its minute inflorescence size), and the other reported from Kumta, Karnataka was named as Eriocaulon karaavalense (named after Karaavali = coastal Karnataka region).
“Future studies will focus on elucidating the evolutionary history of the genus in India. A thorough investigation of the phylogenetic relationship between all Indian species would also help in prioritizing the conservation of threatened species in India. We are also trying to develop DNA barcodes, which will enable us to identify the species with just a portion of the leaf.,” said PhD student Ashwini Darshetkar.