Twenty Nine Plant Species New to Science Discovered from India in 2013

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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.