Uniyala keralensis: A Newly Identified Plant Species
- March 16, 2025
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Uniyala keralensis: A Newly Identified Plant Species
Sub : Env
Sec: Species in news
Context:
- A dense shrub with light purple flowers found in the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district has been confirmed as a distinct species of the genus Uniyala.
- Researchers have named the new species, which is endemic to southwest India, Uniyala keralensis (family Asteraceae) after the State of Kerala.
Discovery and Research
- The plant was first collected in 1998 by E.S. Santhosh Kumar and S.M. Shareef at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Palode, during field exploration.
- More specimens were gathered from different parts of the biosphere reserve in subsequent years.
- Initially, the shrub was thought to be Vernonia multibracteata.
- Later, the genus Uniyala was separated from Vernonia and classified as a new genus.
- Further studies and comparisons with herbarium specimens confirmed it as a distinct species.
- The findings have been published in the journal Phytotaxa.
Physical Characteristics
- Uniyala keralensis is a small to large shrub, growing up to 1 to 3 metres in height.
- It has attractive light purple florets.
- Compared to Uniyala comorinensis and Uniyala salviifolia, it has:
- Larger leaves
- Fairly long petioles (slender stalk joining the leaf to the stem)
- Fewer lateral veins on the leaves
- Flowering and fruiting occur from August to April.
Habitat and Distribution
- Found in open areas of the western mountain slopes of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (ABR).
- Located at elevations ranging between 700 to 1,400 metres.
- The present population consists of nearly 5,000 individuals of various ages.
- Four subpopulations occupy an area of 250 km².
Conservation Status
- Assessed as Data Deficient (DD) under the IUCN Red List Criteria (IUCN 2024).
About the Genus Uniyala
- Named after renowned plant taxonomist B.P. Uniyal.
- The genus has 11 species in southern India and Sri Lanka.