A scientist on a stroll around one of the Royal Botanic Garden's conservatories discovered that the garden offers more than meets the eye.
Dr Iain Darbyshire discovered a plant native to east and southern tropical Africa, while on his lunchtime walk.
It was one of 292 news species of plants and fungi that have been discovered by the scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens this year, the organisation's 250th anniversary. Nearly a third of the species found are in danger of extinction, the organisation said.
Among the new discoveries include a critically endangered yam from South Africa, seven new varieties of the coffee plant, and a wood rotting fungus, which is less than a millimetre thick.
Professor Stephen Hopper, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: "These new discoveries highlight the fact that there is so much of the plant world yet to be discovered and documented.
"Without knowing what's out there and where it occurs, we have no scientific basis for effective conservation."
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew houses the Earth's largest botanical collections, including reference collections.
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Posted by Carla Spuri. |