ISSN: 2456-3102
Hit Kishore Goswami
New species described from India have been unique discoveries as some of these possess features, never so far known for any species in the world flora. For example, recently described Ophioglossum malviae Patel et Reddy is the smallest terrestrial pteridophyte (1-1.2 cms); O. eliminatum Khandelwal et Goswami, a natural hybrid, possess the lowest chromosome count (n=90) among known species of Ophioglossum. Furthermore, this species shows “mesophyll canals” which are seen in mature leaves and are formed by gradual natural tearing of the mesophyll cells specially modified to form the canals. Such structures have never been observed in any living or fossil leaf except now also known in O. indicum Yadav & Goswami.