Echinops sahyadricus
Echinops sahyadricus, the Sahyadri globe thistle, is a species of flowering plant.[1] It is a medium sized forb belong to the tribe Cardueae in the family Asteraceae. E. sahyadricus was discovered by a Mumbai University student at the Rajgad Fort, and it was formally described in 2020.[2]
| Echinops sahyadricus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Echinops |
| Species: | E. sahyadricus |
| Binomial name | |
| Echinops sahyadricus S.More, F.Conti & H.S.Bhosale | |
Description
The species is morphologically similar to Echinops echinatus, but E. sahyadricus has a larger inflorescence and leaves with less hair. The species is perennial and spiny, growing up to 180 cm tall. Flowers are white, and blooms from November to December. Fruit is an achene that matures in January.[3]
Range
Echinops sahyadricus is distributed in the northern Sahyadri Mountains from Nashik District, Pune District, and Satara District. The specific epithet sahyadricus is named for the mountain range where it is endemic.[3]
Ecology
The species is found on open mountain slopes from 800 to 1400 meters, and it occupies an area of approximately 40 square kilometers. Apis dorsata has been observed pollinating the species.[3]
References
- "Echinops sahyadricus (Sahyadri Globe Thistle)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
- Mishra, Lalatendu (26 October 2020). "New species of Echinops found in Sahyadri mountains". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- More, Sushant; Conti, Fabio; Bhosale, Harshal S. (October 2020). "Echinops sahyadricus sp. nov. (Asteraceae: Cardueae), from the northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India". Nordic Journal of Botany. 38 (10). doi:10.1111/njb.02860. S2CID 226368463. Retrieved 18 April 2022.