Prelims: Current events of National Importance | Conservation
Why in News?
New plant species discovered in Aravali hills landscape near Jaipur.
It is a new species of flowering plant named after Bharat serves as a symbolic reminder of India’s rich and still-unfolding natural heritage.
Genus - Portulaca currently comprises about 153 species worldwide, primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions.
These succulent plants are known for their toughness, water-storing tissues, and adaptation to extreme environments.
In India, 11 species are currently known, including four endemics, mostly distributed in dry and semi-arid habitats.
Habitat- Discovered in the rocky and semi-arid landscape of Aravali hills.
Appearance– It has opposite and slightly conclave leaves and pale-yellow flowers becoming creamish-white towards apex, with the presence of glandular hairs on stamen filaments and thick roots.
It added to the list of India’s endemics.
The plant’s narrow endemism and specific habitat requirements make it highly vulnerable to habitat degradation and climate change.
It has been provisionally assessed as “data deficient” under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List guidelines.
