BSI records 245 new species of plants
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Kolkata: The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) reported the addition of 433 new taxa to the Indian flora in 2024, including 245 new species and 188 new distributional records.
These findings were published in the latest volume of Plant Discoveries 2024, released by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav during the inauguration of the Animal Taxonomic Summit.
The minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, inaugurated the newly developed Plant Taxonomy Section at the Indian Botanic Garden in Howrah on Friday.
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The open-air display features over 500 plant species from 175 families.
Each plant group, arranged scientifically, is tagged with QR codes, offering instant access to scientific names, ecological data and distribution maps.
During his visit, the minister planted a Sindoor plant (Bixa orellana L.) under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign.
The plantation was dedicated to Operation Sindoor, a tribute to the valour of India's Armed Forces.
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