A group of researchers has discovered a new algal species named Oedocladium sahyadricum in the Western Ghats (Kerala).
- The team found the species Oedocladium sahyadricum in the natural forests of Kumbhavurutty region in Kollam district.
- The name ‘sahyadricum’ refers to the Western Ghats, also known as Sahyadri, which is rich in plant diversity and provides ideal conditions for the growth of terrestrial microalgae.
- The researchers identified the species by its unique features, such as being dioecious and terrestrial, having a superior operculum, and possessing ellipsoid oogonium and oospore.
- The alga was found as a thin mat of elongated strands on damp soil. T
- This is the first time a species in the Oedocladium category has been recorded in Kerala.
