Portulaca bharat: Flowering plant species
A new flowering plant species with unusual morphological characteristics has been discovered in the rocky and semi-arid landscape of Aravali hills near Jaipur.
- Portulaca Bharat is a new flowering plant species.
- It is classified as Portulaca bharat, the plant adds to the list of Indian endemics.
- It is currently only known from a single location in the Galtaji hills. Only 10 individuals of this species were found in the wild.
- The plant’s narrow endemism and specific habitat requirements make it highly vulnerable to habitat degradation and climate change.
- It 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.
- 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.
