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New flowering plant species discovered in Aravali hills landscape near Jaipur
A new flowering plant species with unusual morphological characteristics has been discovered in the rocky and semi-arid landscape of Aravali hills near Jaipur, shedding light on the region's hidden biodiversity. Classified as Portulaca bharat, the plant adds to the list of Indian endemics.
With no other populations currently known, Portulaca bharat has been provisionally assessed as 'data deficient' under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List guidelines. The plant's narrow endemism and specific habitat requirements make it highly vulnerable to habitat degradation and climate change.
The plant was first spotted by researcher Nishant Chauhan, a committee member of the Satpura Biodiversity Conservation Society (SBCS), who noticed a unique Portulaca-like succulent growing from the rock crevice on the dry and rocky hill slopes near the historic Galtaji temple on the outskirts of Jaipur.
Mr. Chauhan collected a few live specimens, which were subsequently cultivated under the controlled conditions in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur and later in Lucknow to monitor growth patterns, flowering, and morphological stability across environments.
'After a detailed study and comparison with known species, the plant has been confirmed as a new species to science,' Mr. Chauhan told The Hindu on Monday. The species has been described and published in the latest issue of international scientific journal, Phytotaxa, after a thorough examination of the herbarium collections at the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and other institutions.
The 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.
Mr. Chauhan, whose work focuses on the documentation and conservation of threatened plant species, said Portulaca bharat is currently only known from a single location in the Galtaji hills. 'Only 10 individuals of this species were found in the wild. The discovery calls for enhanced field surveys, habitat protection, and ex situ conservation efforts, especially in neglected dry zones like the Aravalis,' he said.
The Aravali Range, one of Earth's oldest geological formations, plays host to numerous micro-endemic species and ecologically significant habitats. The discovery of Portulaca bharat from this underexplored and dry deciduous ecosystem has indicated to the hidden biodiversity of the Aravalis and underlined the urgency of protecting it.
Portulaca bharat 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.
'Naming the plant Portulaca bharat after the country serves as a symbolic reminder of India's rich and still-unfolding natural heritage. This species adds to the list of Indian endemics and opens up new avenues for studies in phytogeography, ecology and evolutionary biology,' Mr. Chauhan said.
Mr. Chauhan's colleagues in the research team were Amber Srivastava, research associate at BSI, and Sudhanshu Shekhar Dash and Sushil Kumar Singh, both of whom are scientists with BSI in Kolkata and Dehradun, respectively.
Mr. Chauhan, hailing from Shimla, earlier pioneered the first ex situ introduction of the critically endangered plant Commiphora wightii in Himachal Pradesh in 2024 and also rediscovered two plant species previously presumed extinct.
