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Researchers stumbled upon a new species during a floristic survey in the Agasthyamala biosphere reserve in Thiruvananthapuram district.
They initially took it for Impatiens uncinata, a familiar species of the genus Impatiens, to which the garden balsams also belong
But a closer look had prompted a detailed scientific study, which eventually resulted in the plant being labelled a new species of Impatiens (family Balsaminaceae), and named it as Impatiens neo-uncinata.
A small plant with attractive milky-white flowers with red stripes, a rare, wild cousin of the popular garden balsam.
Agasthyamala biosphere
It is a protected area and biodiversity hotspot located at the southernmost tip of the Western Ghats mountain range in India.
Established in 2001, it spans across the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica) is a species endemic to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
It is a flowering plant known for its medicinal properties, including its use in lowering blood pressure and treating arthritis.
It encompasses the following wildlife sanctuaries: Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
In 2016, Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve became part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves
Agastyamalai is also home to the Kanikaran, one of the oldest surviving ancient tribes in the world
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