A rare carnivorous plant discovered in the western Himalayan region; Know everything here!
The discovery was made as part of a project study of Uttarakhand’s insectivorous plants.
A top official announced on Saturday that a highly uncommon species of carnivorous plant called Utricularia Furcellata has been discovered for the first time in the western Himalayan region.
According to Chief Conservator of Forest (Research) Sanjiv Chaturvedi, a research team from the Uttarakhand Forest Department discovered the rare species in the beautiful Mandal valley in the Chamoli district.
Not just in Uttarakhand, but also throughout the entire western Himalayan region, he claimed, “It is the first sighting of the plant.”
The discovery was made by a team from the Uttarakhand Forest Department made up of Junior Research Fellow Manoj Singh and Range Officer Harish Negi, and it was published in the illustrious “Publication of Japanese Botany,” a prominent journal on plant taxonomy and botany that has been around for 106 years and is regarded as one of the best in the field, Caturvedi added.
As the first find made by the Uttarakhand forest department to be published in the esteemed magazine, he added, it is a proud occasion for the department. The discovery was made as part of a comprehensive study of Uttarakhand’s insectivorous plants. According to Chaturvedi, this carnivorous plant is a member of the genus known as bladderworts.
The objectives range from protozoa to insects, mosquito larvae, and even tiny tadpoles, he said, adding that the trap uses one of the most complex and developed plant structures.
It works mechanically, by inducing a vacuum or a zone of low pressure, to entice creatures through the trap door. Most carnivorous plants can be found near freshwater and moist soil. In contrast to the photosynthetic mode of typical plants, they have a completely different way of organising food and nourishment through clever trap systems.
According to the official, the possible medical benefits of carnivorous plants, which often grow in low-nutrient soil, have sparked new attention in the scientific community worldwide.
