Botanists from Davangere uncover three new plant species; one other reported for the primary time in Karnataka

Two botanists from Davangere University, Assistant Professor Siddappa B. Kakkalameli and analysis scholar Prashant Karadakatti, have found three new plant species within the Western Ghats area of Karnataka. Their findings have been revealed in worldwide journals.

The three new plant species belong to the household Melastomataceae that develop in particular local weather situations. The discoveries have been made throughout floristic explorations in numerous districts of the State throughout 2024-25. The new discoveries have been revealed in Asian Journal of Research in Botany, Journal of Threatened Taxa and Phytotaxa and authenticated by International Plant Nomenclature Index (IPNI)  and World Flora Online (WFO).

Botanists estimate existence of round 30,00,000 plant species throughout the globe and to date 2,50,000 species are identified whereas 27,50,000 species are to but be found.

Endemic to Western Ghats

According to Prof. Kakkalameli, the newly found plant species belong to genus Sonerila Roxb of the Maelastomataceae household. According to the flora census from India, 46 plant species of the genus Sonerila have been reported in India, of which 43 species are endemic to Western Ghats. Among them, 11 species have been reported earlier from Karnataka.

“Apart from the three newly recognized species, we now have discovered for the primary time one other species Sonerila konkanensis at Kavaledurga in Shivamogga district of Karnataka. This species, which was hitherto recognized within the South Goa area, has now been reported as an addition to the state flora,” Prof. Kakkalameli informed The Hindu.

He stated that his group investigated all three new Sonerila species evaluating them with the present species, like Sonerila wallichii, Sonerila gadgiliana, and Sonerila grandis from Malaysia, which resemble them in traits of dimension, form of the leaf and numerical bloom characters. Such comparative evaluation is finished whereas figuring out and confirming discovery of recent species.

The names of the brand new species are: Sonerila bababudangiriensis, Sonerila gigantea and Sonerila charmadiensis.

Characteristics

Sonerila bababudangiriensis was found on the Baba Budangiri Hill vary in Chikkamagaluru. It has distinctive traits like just one inflorescence in every particular person, resembling an present species from Karnataka.

Sonerila gigantea was discovered within the Mallalli Falls area in Kodagu. The plant has the world’s most acualescent (stemless) Sonerila. And the third new species Sonerila charmadiensis was found within the Charmdi Ghat area of Chikkamagaluru. The plant has white blotches with rhizhome as resembling character.

According to Prof. Kakkalameli, many of the Sonerila distributed within the Western Ghats areas have been analysed completely earlier than arriving on the conclusion on the brand new discoveries. 

The herbarium of the brand new species is now out there at Botany Department of Davangere University. “We have additionally submitted one other set of herbarium of recent species to GKVK Bengaluru for future reference,” he stated.