About Gongronema sasidharanii:
- It is a new species of plant discovered in Pampadum Shola National Park, Idukki District, Kerala.
- It is a plant with smooth stems and small urn-shaped creamy white to purplish-green flowers.
- This is also the first time the genusGongronema is being reported from south India.
- In India, the genus Gongronema has so far been represented by just three species found in northeast India, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and West Bengal.
Key Facts about Pampadum Shola National Park:
- It is located in the eastern part of the Southern Western Ghats in Idukki District, Kerala.
- Stretching over an area of around 12 sq km, the name 'Pampadum Shola' literally means ‘the forest where the snake dances’.
- The terrain is undulating with hillocks of varying heights. The altitudes range between 1600-2400 m.
- The park experiences a misty and cloudy climate throughout the year, and it receives heavy rain during the North-East monsoon.
- Vegetation: It houses evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, shola grasslands, and semi-evergreen.
- Flora: It is host to 22 species of trees, 74 species of herbs and shrubs, and 16 species of climbers.
- Fauna:
- Tigers, leopards, giant gizzard squirrels, the rarely spotted flying squirrels, Nilgiri Tahr, and spotted deer.
- The Nilgiri marten, the only species of marten found in South India, can also be spotted here.
- Around 100 species of butterflieshave been recorded at the park.
