Biologists have discovered a new plant species in Andamans, India.
Initially found in 2019, it took Indian scientists almost two years to confirm that their discovery was novel. To be exact, experts spent 18 months comparing the new plant’s DNA with existing flora.
Scientists from the Central University of Punjab named the new species Acetabularia jalakanyakae. The plant has caps with intricate designs, and according to Dr Felix Bast, it was “as if it were umbrellas of a mermaid." This particular feature led the scientists to name the plant after mermaids, with Jalakanyaka in Sanskrit translating to ‘mermaid’ and ‘a goddess of oceans’.
Image credit: Felix Blast
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