Royal Botanic Garden, Kew Report makes new tally for number of World’s Plants

Researchers have counted how many plant species are known to science and estimated that 390,900 plants are known.

Director of Science: Prof Kathy Willis

• First Global assessment of the world’s flora and carried out by the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew.
• Botanists from China, Australia and Brazil were involved.

Important Statements of the Report:

• 2,034 new species of plant were discovered in the year 2015
• 21% of plants are at risk of extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, disease and invasive species
• Lot of overlap within the records, with some plants being given different names by botanists
• Excluding Algae, Mosses, liverworts and hornworts, about 390900 plants and 369,400 plants are flowering
• Gilbertiodendron Maximum is a tree which grows upto 45 cm high found in the forests of Gabon in West Africa
• 90 new species of Begonia were discovered, 5 new species of Onion and a sprawling, insect eating plant – Drosera Magnifica in Brazil

Threats for Plant Species

• Habitat Changes – Loss of Mangroves and forests
• Pests and Diseases

The Conservationists have logged 4979 persistent species around the world

• The director expressed his views that it was important to estimate the plant species and plants are absolutely fundamental to our well-being.
• And he added that plants provide us with food, fuel, medicines and controlling the climate.

Royal Botanic Garden

A non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Headquarter: Kew, London
Heads

• Marcus Agius (Chairman)
• Richard Deverell (Director)
• Kathy Willis (Director of Science)