New species that already face threat
THEIR SOURCES range from the mountainsides of the Andes to the black markets of Asia, but they are all known to science, and, now, to the keepers at Kew.
A bug-eating pitcher plant, an edible “hedgehog” mushroom and a strange species that lives in a waterfall are among the plants they recorded this year.
The Royal Botanic Gardens and their partners said they had found some 128 vascular plants and 44 species of fungi around the world, many of which are new but simultaneously under threat of extinction.
The highlights include a “showy” orchid first found on the black market in Laos, a new wild relative of the commercial Allspice tree and two types of morning glories from Bolivia.
The biggest new discovery is an 80ft tree from Guinea, endangered by the clearance of tiny remnants of rainforest.
A new genus of plant with bizarre, large, pillar-like structures, which was found in a waterfall in Sierra Leone, has also been immediately classified as critically endangered because it faces threats from mining.
Meanwhile, the pollen of a white flower from Guinea has been found to contain more than 40 chemicals known for their medicinal value, with potential anti-cancer properties.
Kew botanist Dr Martin Cheek said: “Many of these new species have potential benefits for humanity. But sadly we are finding that most of these new species are threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction.”