Botanists discover rare, endangered plant species in Kerala

A team of Botanists discovered a rare, endangered plant species in Kasargod, Kerala. The plant locally referred to as ‘Kallada Komban’, by the traditional medicine practitioners, has been given the scientific name Ceropegia Ariyittaparensis.

Kasaragod: Botanists discover a rare plant species with elongated buds belonging to ceropegia genus at the nondescript town of Cheemeni in Kasargod, Kerala.

According to reports, the plant locally referred to as ‘Kallada Komban’, by the traditional medicine practitioners, has been given the scientific name Ceropegia Ariyittaparensis.

Only less than ten plants of this rare, endangered species, which faces the threat of extinction, was found in this area. Sreedharan, a traditional medicine practitioner here spotted the plant while he was trekking up the hills to procure other medicinal plants.

The research team comprised botanists including Dr Jomy Augustine, Biju, Dr Jose Kutty E J, Sharath Kamble, and Peter Brians from South Africa. The researchers said that even similar plants are very rare to be found.

Read:Locals spot wild bear in the inhabited area in Kerala; Villagers panic-stricken

Kallada Komban is an edible plant that has many medicinal properties. Traditional medicine practitioners use the root of this plant in treating intestinal ulcers. Two plants similar to this species were discovered earlier at Kasaragod Periya in 2014, by the researchers from Maharashtra Kohlapur University.

Those plants have been named Ceropegia Kolarensis and Ceropegia Varthakki. The plant grows in the rock crevices during the monsoon rains. Come summer, the plant’s leaves and stem dry off and the root remains.

The plant shoots are found to germinate in the months of June and July, with the onset of rains.