Melanoseris Pendryi

Melanoseris Pendryi Latest News

A team of botanists has discovered a new plant species in the Sikkim Himalayas named Melanoseris pendryi. 

About Melanoseris Pendryi

• It is a new plant species found at altitudes over 4,000m in Sikkim.
  • Melanoseris is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Asteraceae.
  • Its native range is Iran to Southern Central China and Northern Central Indo-China, Java.

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Features of Melanoseris Pendryi

• It has uniquely hairy purple petals high in the alpine grasslands of India.
• It has lavender-coloured petals, known as ligules, which are covered in long, white hairs on their undersides.
• It has a shorter reproductive tube and a distinctly stout seed structure,
• It grows close to the ground amongst cushion-like shrubs, the plant relies on a fleshy, branching root system to survive the harsh alpine conditions.
• Researchers have suggested it be classified as Critically Endangered due to habitat pressure from tourism and grazing.

Source: RM