---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Kiran Srivastava <[email protected]> Date: 13 August 2014 09:24 Subject: Rediscovery of a rare tree To: "J.M. Garg" <[email protected]>, Flowers of India < [email protected]>
Scientists have rediscovered a rare tree, turning the spotlight on the rich, unexplored biodiversity of the Western Ghats. The rare tree was rediscovered from the Muthikulam High Value Biodiversity Area by a team of scientists from the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research (CMPR), Arya Vaidyasala, Kottakkal, and the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur. The tree *Gnidia glauca* var. *sisparensi, *was rediscovered after a gap of 148 years by a team led by K.M. Prabhukumar, CMPR, and V.B. Sreekumar, KFRI. Known as Nanju in Malayalam, the common variety of the genus *Gnidia glauca* var. *glauca* is considered a powerful vesicant (producing severe blisters) and hence used as fish poison. The stem, leaf and flowers also possess anti-diabetic properties. The tree is found only in upper grassland areas above 2,000 m. It produces yellow flowers from September to December. The team could observe only three plants of the tree during field studies. This, according to Mr. Prabhukumar, makes it eligible to be classified as a critically endangered species. The finding has been published in the Webbia Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography. Cheers, kiran mumbai -- With regards, J.M.Garg 'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna' <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1> The whole world uses my Image Resource <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg> of more than a thousand species & eight thousand images of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise). You can also use them for free as per Creative Commons license attached with each image. For identification, learning, discussion & documentation of Indian Flora, please visit/ join our Efloraofindia Google e-group <https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/indiantreepix> (largest in the world- around 2380 members & 1,96,000 messages on 31/7/14) or Efloraofindia website <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/> (with a species database of more than 9500 species & 1,90,000 images). Winner of Wipro-NFS Sparrow Awards 2014 for efloraofindia <https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/award-for-efloraofindia>. Also author of 'A Photoguide to the Birds of Kolkata & Common Birds of India'. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
