Emblica Chakrabartyi : New Plant Species
Scientists have reported the discovery of a new plant species Emblica chakrabartyi from Adichilthotti within the Edamalayar forest range of Kerala.
- Emblica chakrabartyi species belonging to the gooseberry (Phyllanthaceae) family has been named after Tapas Chakrabarty, former scientist at the Botanical Survey of India, for his contribution to the study on Phyllanthaceae.
- The plant attains a height of approximately 2 metres.
- The leaves are large with a shiny elongated oval shape of up to 13 cm.
- The flowering and fruiting occur during December to June.
- Male flowers are found in inflorescence whereas females ones are in single, on the leaf axils.
- Each flower bears yellowish green coloured six petals.
- The fruits are brown to black when they ripen and the seeds are black about 8-9 mm diameter.
- Generally growing as shrubs in tropical rain forests, 55 species of the genus Emblica have been recorded all around the world.
- The new plant is the eleventh from India.
