Midnapore, July 11 -- In a discovery that has surprised botanists and expanded the known botanical geography of the country, researchers from Vidyasagar University and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Howrah, have documented the presence of the rare Ravana Palm (Hyphaene dichotoma) in the dry deciduous forests of West Bengal's Bankura district-marking the first recorded occurrence of the species in eastern India.
The finding, published in the latest issue of the peer-reviewed journal Rheedea, significantly extends the known natural range of the Near Threatened palm, which until now was believed to be confined to India's western coastal belt, including Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra and Diu.
The newly recorded population was discovered in t...