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Botanical Survey of India Describes New Plant Species Ceropegia tamilnaduensis
Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) describe a new perennial flowering plant species, Ceropegia tamilnaduensis, during floristic surveys in the Western Ghats region of Tamil Nadu. The species is discovered on stream-side hill slopes within the Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district, and it is provisionally assessed as Data Deficient (DD) under IUCN criteria.
Ceropegia tamilnaduensis and Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary :
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Discovering authority | The species is discovered and described by scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). |
| Species type | Ceropegia tamilnaduensis comprises a new perennial flowering plant species. |
| Nomenclature | The species name provides for association with the state of Tamil Nadu, and it is named to honor endemic flora and ecological heritage. |
| Discovery site | The species is discovered on stream-side hill slopes within the Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu. |
| Habitat | The species habitat comprises stream-side hill slopes surrounded by dense evergreen forests. |
| Growth form | The plant comprises a perennial herb with drooping, pendant stems. |
| Floral traits | The plant comprises single, solitary flowers with a glabrous central corona, and a specialized pollinial corpusculum with lateral wings. |
| Seed size | The plant produces seeds measuring up to 14 mm in length. |
| Taxonomic affinities | The species shares floral similarities with Ceropegia annamacharyae, and it shares leaf morphology with Ceropegia swarupa. |
| Conservation status | The species is provisionally assessed as Data Deficient (DD) under IUCN criteria, pending further field studies on geographical range and population size. |
| Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary location | Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, in Tirunelveli district. |
| Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary notification | Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary has been formally notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2015. |
| Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary key fauna | The sanctuary comprises fauna including Nilgiri Tahr, Lion-tailed Macaque, Asian Elephant, Bengal Tiger, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Gaur. |
| Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary ecological role | The sanctuary acts as an important contiguous forest corridor within the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve landscape. |