Two Rare Plants Discovered in Mizoram

Two species of Ceropegia belonging to the Asclepiadaceae plant family (Calotropis) are discovered in Mizoram. The researchers from Botanical Survey of India have found the two rare plants in the north-eastern state which are generally found in the India-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot.

Following the discovery of the two species of plants, these are being named as Ceropegia mizoramensis and Ceropegia murlensis which are derived from the state and the locality of its existence, Murlen National Park, respectively. Another particular characteristic of these plants is that these are climbing plants.

There are approximately 260 species of the genus Ceropegia and these are distributed mainly in the tropical regions of the world. This is also noteworthy that 52 species and seven varieties of it are distributed in India and of these, eleven species (including the newly discovered species) are found in the Northeast so far.

A genus is a rank in the biological classification (or taxonomy). It stands above species, and below families. A genus can include more than one species.

It is only during a field survey under the annual action plan project of Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong that was conducted by scientist Ramesh Kumar and botanical assistant Sachin Sharma in September 2014, that the rare plants came into the notice.

Ceropegia murlensis plant is 2-3.5 metres long and its stem is purple in colour. Ceropegia mizoramensis is a twining herb which is up to 1-metre tall and has a wiry stem. The details about the findings have been published in the recent issue of the international journal of life sciences, named Taiwania.

Ramesh Kumar of Botanical Survey of India, said, "Both the plant species are found growing in limestone quarry area along the margins of open forests at 1,100 metres elevation. There is an immediate threat to the existence of these plants."