New gin berry species discovered in southern Western Ghats
- Category
Environment
- Published
9th Mar, 2022
-
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).
|