New Gin Berry Species Discovered in Southern Western Ghats

Context

Recently, Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has discovered a new gin berry species from the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.

About

About the new species:

The species, named Glycosmis albicarpawith a distinct large white fruit, is endemic to the southern Western Ghats.
The species belongs to the Orange family, Rutaceae.
Berries of Glycosmis species have the unique characteristic of ‘gin aroma’ and have gained in popularity as an edible fruit.
The species is also a larval host plant for butterflies like other species of Glycosmis.
The species is an evergreen small tree.
It was found as undergrowth in Tirunelveli semi-evergreen forests at the Panagudi forest section of the wildlife sanctuary.
Though flowering, natural regeneration and seedling recruitment of this taxon is found to be fairly good within the locality, while habitat modification causes a major threat to the survival of this species.

About Botanical Survey of India (BSI):

Botanical Survey of India (BSI) is the apex research organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
It carries out taxonomic and floristic studies on wild plant resources of the country through survey, documentation and conservation.
It was established in 1890 under the direction of Sir George King.
The organization’s mandate was to explore, collect, identify and document the rich plant resources of the erstwhile British India.
The department has also developed a digital platform ‘Indian Plant Diversity Information System (IPDIS).