DEHRADUN: The Botanical Survey of India and the forest department of Uttarakhand have discovered a carnivore plant, Utricularia Furcellata, in Uttarakhand's Mandal, Chamoli district, at an altitude of around 4,800 feet. This is the first time that the plant has been spotted anywhere in the entire western Himalayas.
The recent discovery of the plant has been documented by 'Japanese Botany', a 104-year-old prestigious Japanese journal. The plant was last seen in the country in Meghalaya in 1986, 37 years ago. It thrives on tadpoles, mosquito larvae, and protozoa. It has a distinct bladder-like structure through which it traps its prey and digests it using hormones and chemicals.
It is a small plant that blooms between June and September. Rains play a vital role in its sustenance. Researchers said the plant is "very rare" and "highly susceptible" to biotic pressure and climate change. It is mostly found in freshwater and wet soil, confirmed head of Botanical Survey of India, Dr SK Singh.
Junior research fellow at Haldwani-based Research Institute of Forest Department, Manoj Singh, explained, “The plant's presence strikes a balance in the ecosystem and plays an important role in the food chain. It maintains the population balance. We saw this species in rocky terrain. It is threatened if any road work or cutting happens.”
Mandal is a famous site for flora and fauna lovers. It is often visited by many for academic and adventure tours.
Those involved in discovering the carnivorous plant said that such plants were now being seen with a "different perspective" as they need less nutritive soil to grow and they do not perform photosynthesis like regular plants.
“These plants thrive on poor-nutrient soil. New interest has arisen in them among the scientific community because of their potential medicinal benefits,” said Sanjiv Chaturvedi, chief conservator of forests (research wing), Haldwani.
