New plant species found in south Maharashtra named after Sharad Pawar

01 April,2021 06:30 PM IST |  Pune  |  PTI

The species has been named ``Argyreia sharadchandrajii`` in recognition of Pawar`s contribution as Union agriculture minister, said researchers Dr Pramod R Lawand and Dr Vinod B Shimpale.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar. File pic


A new species of flowering plants belonging to the genus "Argyreia'', recently discovered in south Maharashtra''sKolhapur district, has been named for NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

The species has been named ''Argyreia sharadchandrajii'' in recognition of Pawar's contribution as Union agriculture minister, said researchers Dr Pramod R Lawand and Dr Vinod B Shimpale.

Kolhapur district falls in the famous Western Ghats ecological zone, known for its rich biodiversity.

The new species was found in the Alamprabhu "Dev-raai'' (sacred grove), said Lawand and Shimpale, who teach botany at a college in Kolhapur.

Their research paper "Argyreia sharadchandrajii (Convolvulaceae),a new species from the Western Ghats, India'' was recently published in the Journal of the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy.

Speaking to PTI, Dr Shimpale said around 40 sub- species of the Argyreia genus are found in India.

"These species are found in only Asiatic countries. Of 40, 17 are endemic to India, and now we have discovered an 18th one in theAlamprabhu Sacred Grove in Ramling hills," he said.

The plant flowers between July and September and the fruiting period lasts till December.

"It grows in open habitats and trails on grassland but remains rooted near other shrubs," Shimpale said.

Asked why it was named for Pawar, he said a few years ago Pawar had helped financially for publishing his research on the flora in Baramati -- the NCP chief's political bastion -- in the form of a book.

Another reason for naming the plant for Pawar was "his immense contribution to Indian agriculture" as a Union minister, Shimpale added.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
pune sharad pawar nationalist congress party maharashtra national news
Related Stories