8. Two new species of Cycas
discovered
Answers
Answer:
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Explanation:
R e s e a r c h c o n d u c t e d o n
Cycaspschannae, a lone tree found in the
Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian
Botanic Garden, West Bengal has revealed
two new species of Cycas to the world. This discovery takes the
total number of Cycas species found in India to 14.
Cycas
Cycas are one of the most ancient plants whose fossils date
to the Jurassic period. They are often referred to as living fossils.
They have evolved on the earth as the first seeded plants and
they grow very slowly, adding only a few centimetres every
year. Nearly 65% of Cycas are threatened. There are over 100
species of Cycas found across the globe.
Key Facts
Initial studies on the lone Cycaspschannae tree revealed
that it was Cycas, a gymnosperm. Further research based on its
anatomical and morphological characters led to the discovery
of new species of Cycaspschannae and later Cycasdharmrajii
in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Cycasdharmrajii is characterised by the abnormal
branching habit of its giant trunk and its swollen base. It
has well-defined 10 to 28 hook-like structures in the apex
of the mega sporophyll which makes it distinct from other Cycas found in the country. Sporophylls are spore-bearing
leaf-like female sex organ of the plant. The sporophylls of
Cycaspschannae are characterised by the presence of two
lateral horn-like structures.