EnvironmentMonday, 21 September 2026·The Hindu - Science
Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve checklist records 3,261 flowering plant species
A JNTBGRI checklist has documented 3,261 flowering plant species in the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve across Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In 2026, a JNTBGRI research team published a new checklist for the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, documenting 3,261 flowering plant species across the Western Ghats landscape shared by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Key specifics
- The checklist records 3,261 species, 26 sub-species and 28 varieties.
- The flora belongs to 1,139 genera and 190 families.
- Fabaceae is the most species-rich family with 349 taxa, followed by Rubiaceae (194), Poaceae (193) and Orchidaceae (168).
- Endemism is high: 1,018 taxa, or 31.2%, are endemic to India, including 245 steno-endemic taxa.
- The reserve shows affinity with Sri Lanka through 347 shared taxa and with tropical American flora through 102 taxa.
Exam lens
Question type: Environment and biodiversity, biosphere reserve facts, endemic species counts; key facts: Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, JNTBGRI, 3,261 species, 1,018 endemic taxa, 347 Sri Lanka-linked taxa. TNPSC may ask which reserve spans Kerala and Tamil Nadu and why it is biodiversity-rich.