Osbeckia ulotricha
Why in News?
Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) Southern Regional Centre in Coimbatore have discovered a new woolly-haired flowering plant species named Osbeckia ulotricha from the Western Ghats.
Taxonomy & Etymology
- Scientific Name & Family: Osbeckia ulotricha belongs to the Melastomataceae family and the genus Osbeckia L. (comprising ~43 global species and 29 in India).
- Name Origin: Derived from the Greek words oulos (woolly/crisp) and thrix (hair), reflecting its "woolly-curly-haired" look.
Morphological Features
- Characteristics: Features a woolly-curly hair covering on the flower base (hypanthium), an ovary crowned with true bristles, ascending trichomes on the style, and a protruding capsule.
- Distinction: Distinguishably separate from Osbeckia yercaudensis and Osbeckia wightiana via micro-morphological traits.
Habitat & Distribution
- Location & Elevation: Discovered in the high-elevation (1,200–1,500m) shola grasslands of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Southern Western Ghats.
- Environment: Damp margins of Tropical Montane Wet Temperate Forests.
Conservation Status & Threats
- Population: Critically micro-endemic with only ~50 individuals across three sites spanning <1 km².
- Status & Threats: Classified as Data Deficient, facing threats from habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change.
