Discovering a New – and at Risk – Endemic Plant Species in Bengaluru

Teramnus kameswararaoi’s existence is restricted to the Hesaraghatta village in Bengaluru, making it an endemic species, one that has a limited geographic range.

As published in The Wire on 15 March, 2024.

At first glance, Dr M. Sanjappa knew that there was something different about the plant in front of him.

Earlier in the day, Dr N. Dhatchanamoorthy from the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) chanced upon a leguminous plant species while surveying the scrub forest areas near Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru. He decided to consult Sanjappa, Indian National Science Academy Honorary Scientist, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK (Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra), who has a keen interest in leguminous plants and has been studying them for decades.

The scientists knew that the specimen represented the Teramnus genus but were debating which of the eight known species under this group it belonged to.

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Cover image courtesy: Dhatchanamoorthy, Sringeswara and Sanjappa