teris madhusoodananii: New Fern Species from Eastern Ghats

UPSC Reference: Biodiversity

Why in News?

A new fern species, Pteris madhusoodananii, has been described from the Kolli Hills of the Eastern Ghats.

Key Facts

  • Scientific name: Pteris madhusoodananii

  • Family: Pteridaceae

  • It is a fern.

  • Recorded from Kolli Hills, Eastern Ghats.

  • Its identification was supported by:

    • Morphological characteristics

    • Spore micromorphology

    • Molecular phylogeny

    • Quantitative morphological analysis

UPSC Importance

This topic links:

  • Eastern Ghats biodiversity

  • New species discovery

  • Plant taxonomy

  • Molecular taxonomy

  • Conservation of lesser-known ecosystems

Key Pointer

Pteris madhusoodananii → Fern → Pteridaceae → Kolli Hills → Eastern Ghats