Context: Thiruvananthapuram’s wasteland yields a new plant species

Sida keralensis 

• A subshrub spotted on the roadsides and wastelands in Thiruvananthapuram district has been identified as a new species of the genus Sida, to which the Kurumthotti, used in Ayurveda, also belongs.
• It is endemic to India.
• The discovery underscores the importance of documenting neighbourhood plant wealth which gets destroyed due to urbanisation, road development, and ignorance.
• Sida keralensis is an erect branched subshrub, growing to a height of 40-80 cm.
• The stems are greenish or slightly purple-tinged.
• It has 2 mm-long, brownish-black seeds and striking yellow flowers. As its name suggests, the species is named after the State of Kerala.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/thiruvananthapurams-wasteland-yields-a-new-plant-species/article34988648.ece

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