Thu Oct 23 08:03:11 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:
Summary:
Botanists from Davangere University, Karnataka, India, have discovered three new plant species of the genus Sonerila in the Western Ghats region. These discoveries, made during floristic explorations in 2024-25, have been published in international journals and verified by international plant databases. The new species are Sonerila bababudangiriensis, Sonerila gigantea, and Sonerila charmadiensis, each named after the region where they were discovered and possessing unique characteristics. The team also identified Sonerila konkanensis in Karnataka for the first time, a species previously known only in South Goa. The discoveries contribute to our understanding of plant diversity and highlight the significance of the Western Ghats as a biodiversity hotspot.
News Article:
Three New Plant Species Discovered in Karnataka’s Western Ghats
HUBBALLI, October 23, 2025 – The biodiversity of the Western Ghats has once again proven its richness with the discovery of three new plant species by botanists from Davangere University in Karnataka. Assistant Professor Siddappa B. Kakkalameli and research scholar Prashant Karadakatti identified the new species during extensive floristic explorations conducted throughout 2024 and 2025.
The newly discovered plants belong to the Sonerila genus, part of the Melastomataceae family, known to thrive in specific climate conditions. The findings have been published in prestigious international journals, including the Asian Journal of Research in Botany and Phytotaxa, and authenticated by the International Plant Nomenclature Index (IPNI) and World Flora Online (WFO).
The three new species have been named Sonerila bababudangiriensis, found in the Baba Budangiri Hill range; Sonerila gigantea, discovered near Mallalli Falls in Kodagu; and Sonerila charmadiensis, identified in the Charmadi Ghat region. Each species possesses unique characteristics. Sonerila gigantea has a very short or no stem and Sonerila charmadiensis has white blotches and Sonerila bababudangiriensis only has one inflorescence per plant.
“These discoveries highlight the incredible biodiversity of the Western Ghats and the importance of continued research and conservation efforts,” said Prof. Kakkalameli. “In addition to the three new species, we have also identified Sonerila konkanensis in Kavaledurga, Shivamogga district, marking its first-ever appearance in Karnataka. We have compared the new species to others from Malaysia and surrounding areas to confirm that they were previously uncatalogued.”
According to current estimates, only about 250,000 of the estimated 3 million plant species worldwide have been identified. Discoveries like these underscore the ongoing need for botanical exploration and the potential for further unveiling of the planet’s flora.
Herbarium specimens of the new species are now housed at the Botany Department of Davangere University, with duplicate samples submitted to GKVK Bengaluru for future research and reference. This is an essential step to preserving the legacy and ensuring access to this discovery for current and future generations of scientists.
First Piper 