Why in News?
Botanists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) discovered and described a new plant species, Ceropegia tamilnaduensis, during a floristic survey of the Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. The discovery was reported on 13 October 2026.
- Discovery: Botanical Survey of India (BSI).
- Location: Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu.
- Plant type: Perennial herb.
- Habitat: Stream-side hill slope surrounded by evergreen forest, at approximately 380 metres elevation.
- Distinctive features: Dark brownish-purple flowers with white tinges, a hairless floral corona and unusually large seeds measuring up to 14 mm.
- Conservation status: Provisionally assessed as Data Deficient (DD) because more information is needed about its distribution and population.
- Taxonomic family: Apocynaceae, subfamily Asclepiadoideae.
- Name: Named after Tamil Nadu, the state where it was discovered.
UPSC Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about Ceropegia tamilnaduensis:
- It was discovered in the Western Ghats.
- It was reported from Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.
- It is a marine flowering plant.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only.
Explanation: It is a terrestrial perennial herb found on a hill slope near a stream in the Western Ghats.
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