KOCHI: A woman research scholar at the Cochin University of Science and Technology(Cusat) here has discovered a rare plant and a multi-cellular species.
Ambily C B of the Cusat School of Environmental Studies made the discovery at Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary. The ancient vascular plant, ‘Helminthostachys zeylanica’ and fresh water sponge ‘Eunapius carteri’ have been found at the sanctuary’s Kolmbuthodu region.
The newly-discovered plant ‘Helminthostachys zeylanica’ is a monotypic taxon belonging to the family, Ophiolossaceae. Its vernacular name is ‘pazhutharakali’.
This taxon has been reported for the first time in Ernakulam district and the fern is used against various diseases while the fresh water sponge belongs to the Spongillidae family of Eunapius genus. Though, it is widely seen in the plains, even extending to moderate heights, in Kerala its presence is confined to Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary.
The taxon was attached to the rocky surface, dead wood and submerged bamboo stumps. The sponge, roughly circular in shape and measuring 10-14 cm across,grows to a massive size and outnumbers the other sponges sharing the habitat.
The scientific reports on the findings have been presented at various international conferences. Ambily carried out the research under the guidance of A Mohandas, S Rajathy and Sugathan.