Three new plant species reported from Palakkad

All three plants are erect or sub-erect annual herbs and were spotted in hillocks during field exploration in the southern Western Ghats

Researchers have reported three new species of the plant genus Polycarpaea from Palakkad district, taking the number of species of this genus found in India to 10.

All three plants are erect or sub-erect annual herbs and were spotted in hillocks during field exploration in the southern Western Ghats. The species, which have been established as distinct through critical evaluation, have been named Polycarpaea barbellata, Polycarpaea ebracteata, and Polycarpaea psammophila, according to a paper on the findings published in the journal PhytoKeys.

The genus Polycarpaea (family Caryophyllaceae) has approximately 50 species worldwide, mostly found in the tropics and subtropics. Only seven of them were earlier reported from India, which makes the recent discoveries significant from a botanical perspective.

The PhytoKeys paper has been authored by S. Arya (research scholar), V. S. Anil Kumar (Associate Professor), Botany Department, University College, Thiruvananthapuram; Ambika V.P. (research scholar), V. Suresh (Assistant Professor), Alen Alex Philip (Assistant Professor), Botany Department, Government Victoria College, Palakkad, and, Sojan Jose (Assistant Professor), Botany Department, Government College, Chittoor.

Featuring wedge-shaped whitish-lilac petals and whorled leaves, Polycarpaea barbellata has ovate, yellow seeds. Researchers came across two populations of this plant, each having about 20 to 35 individual plants.

Polycarpaea ebracteata grows to a height of about 2.5 to 8 cm. It has been named ‘ebracteata’ for its lack of bracts. Researchers came across three populations of this plant, each having about 15-20 individual plants.

Polycarpaea psammophila is taller, growing to about 18-25 cm in height. The species name is derived from ‘psammos’ and ‘philios’, Greek respectively for sand and love, indicative of its exclusive habitat, sandy marginal zones of granite hills.