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New species of African violets found in Mizoram

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Environment
  • Published
    28th May, 2021

A group of botanists from the Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) have recently discovered a new species of plant belonging to the African Violets family from Mizoram and adjacent areas in Myanmar.

Context

A group of botanists from the Bhopal-based Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) have recently discovered a new species of plant belonging to the African Violets family from Mizoram and adjacent areas in Myanmar.

  • IISER Bhopal was the set up in 2008. It has secured 40th place in the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the Union Education Ministry last year.

About the African Violets

  • Plant species: It is a species of herbaceousperennial flowering plants.
  • Family: It belongs to the family Gesneriaceae.
  • Native: It is native to Tanzaniaand adjacent southeastern Kenya in eastern tropical Africa. 
  • Scientific name: It is scientifically known as saintpaulias.
    • Species and cultivarsare commonly called African violets.
  • There are 106 currently known species of African Violets genus, of which 26 are present in northeastern states of India.
  • Most of these species are narrow endemics and require specialised habitats to survive, thus acting as an indicator of pristine habitats.
  • Several of the species and subspecies of the section are endangered, and many more are threatened.
    • Their native cloud foresthabitats are cleared for agriculture. 
  • New Species: Newly described species Didymocarpus vickifunkiae (Gesneriaceae) is currently known from only three locations in Mizoram.
    • It is considered as an endangered species.
    • Didymocarpus is a genus belonging to the plant family Gesneriaceae (commonly known as African Violets).
    • Its members are distributed from Western Himalayas to Sumatra.
  • Significance: This discovery shows that the biodiversity of the northeastern parts of India is understudied and there are many species of plants that remain undiscovered.

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

  • The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is given by the MHRD.
  • It was launched in 2015.
  • This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country.
  • It identifies the broad parameters for ranking various universities and institutions.
  • The parameters broadly cover-
    • Teaching, Learning and Resources
    • Research and Professional Practices
    • Graduation Outcomes
    • Outreach and Inclusivity
    • Perception

Verifying, please be patient.

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