It is believed that the planet is growing by about 350,000 species of plants. And even if you do not take into account the view that the species is much more work by botanists many more. The fact that so far described about 287,000 species of plants.
Where there are new types of coffee...
A representative set of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London) told Infox.ru, which recently specialists of this botanical garden has discovered and described 292 new species of plants. A complete list will appear in the January issue of the journal Herbarium. So far, scientists have compiled an electronic map where you can see the geographical distribution of all 292 species and even learn from their botanical descriptions.
Most of all - about a hundred - scientists have found a new species in Eastern and Southern Africa (Tanzania in only one of 67 species). Features a wealth of flora distinguished themselves as the islands of Madagascar and Borneo.
Professor Stephen Hopper (Stephen Hopper), director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: "Few people know that every year up to 2000, scientists describe new species. The specialists of our botanical gardens are making a significant contribution to this figure. Locate and describe new species is indeed very important. After all, in order to save some rare or endangered plants, we must first know where they are growing. "
Huge bean pods with giant
Among the many new species is very unusual plants. For example, the giant trees of rainforests of Cameroon. Height Berlinia korupensis can reach 42 meters and trunk diameter greater than one meter. Berlininia belongs to the legume family (Leguminosae). Dr. Xander van der Burgt (Xander van der Burgt) says that it has an unusually large fruit plants - giant pods longer than 30 cm are formed after a huge white flowers wither. "It is extremely rare plant: we found only 17 individuals in the entire Korup National Park in Cameroon," - he says.
High-altitude orchids
The experts of the Royal Botanic Gardens on orchids Dr. Jeff Wood (Jeff Wood) and Dr Phil Cribb (Phil Cribb) discovered this year, and described 38 new species of these magnificent plants. Most of the species, scientists have found at an altitude of 4095 meters on Mount Kinabalu - the highest point of the island of Borneo. "Flora Kinabalu striking rich. An area of approximately 1,200 square kilometers found 866 different species of orchids, "- says Dr. Cribb.
Coffee trees with unusual fruits
Another interesting find - unusual coffee trees. Their scientists discovered on the island of Madagascar, in the mountains of the north. For example, Coffea pterocarpa has a grain, as if covered with wings similar to fruit-lionfish. A Coffea boinensis has the largest seeds of all known species of coffee plants - the seeds of the coffee is almost two times more than the well-known grain Arabica coffee.
The legacy of past eras
Another species found, aquatic plant that lives in fresh water, - Isoetes eludens. This plant belongs to the department lycopsids - higher spore plant genus Polushnik. This is a very ancient group, the oldest fossil imprints of these plants date back to the age of about 150 million years. "It's amazing that this small plant height of 5 centimeters we managed to find a mountain lake in South Africa" - says Professor Hopper.
Sweet potato tuber with a huge
Another rare type of yam Dioscorea strydomiana scientists have discovered in South Africa. According to biologists in the world, there are only 200 individuals of this plant. Dioscorea strydomiana like shrub, however, very unusual - with a huge hard tuber that grows above the ground and reaches a diameter and a height of one meter.
Brazil and this time has left scientists with no surprises - very original and new Brazilian passion fruit (Passiflora cristalina) with huge white edible fruits.
Scientists say that many species of these plants is very rare and vulnerable. Some plants are valued for their medicinal properties and other types simply are endangered because their habitats are disappearing - cut down rainforests.
So you need to have time to take measures for their conservation in nature, or at least as a living herbarium grow these plants in the botanical gardens.
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