Kerala: A team of researchers from the state has discovered two new plants species at Pooyamkutty-Adamlayar and Neriamangalam forest regions.

The researchers team which is led by C.N Sunil, Associate Professor of SNM college, Maliankara has announced about the two new plants during the investigation about the UGC-sponsored project on the flowering plants of Ernakulam district.

A shrub plant which is belonging to the mint family has been found at the Ernakulam district, deep inside the Edmalayalar forest range. The investigators gave the name to plant as “Vellithumpa” (silver flower). The researcher gave this vernacular name to flower because it has white silvery hairs under the leaf. The plant tolerates small white flowers with read anthers in cylindrical closely packed clusters. The researcher observed only four or five plants in that area and possibly it is a very rare species.

Researchers found one more plant which is belonging to the pipeworts family at wet rocky mountain grasslands of Mamalakandam-Munippara area in the Neriamangalam forest range. The plant has small white flowers as growing bunches.

Dr. Sunil and his team had discovered four other plant species in Western Ghats area and said that “This points to the unmapped biodiversity in the region. It also indicates the need for a conservation strategy for the ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats”.