Pteris madhusoodananii

Pteris madhusoodananii Latest News

A team of Indian botanists recently discovered a rare new species of fern named Pteris madhusoodananii within the misty Kolli hills of the Eastern Ghats.

About Pteris madhusoodananii

• It is a new species of fern.
• It was discovered within the misty Kolli hills of the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu. 
• It is currently known to exist in only two small sites covering just 8 sq.km.
• It has been immediately classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ due to its extremely small habitat and the threat of human encroachment. 
• While it looks similar to other ferns in the Pteris family, Pteris madhusoodananii is characterised by stiff, leathery leaves with a lustrous, deep green colour. 
• Unlike its closest relatives, it features a very prominent lobe at the base of its lower segments and a unique pinna-pinnule architecture, in which its smaller leaflets are arranged along the stem. 
• At a microscopic level, its spores possess a narrow, wavy-edged belt called a cingulum, a feature distinct from the smooth, wider belts found on similar species.

News: RM

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