New plant species named after Sharad Pawar

In news : The new flowering species, belonging to the genus Argyreia, has been named ‘Argyreia sharadchandraji’.

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The new species has been found Alamprabhu Dev-raai (sacred grove) in south Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district which is close to the Western Ghats ecological zone
The plant has been named after Pawar to acknowledge his work as the Union agriculture minister.
This flowering plant blooms between July and September and its fruiting period goes on till December.
Research work called Argyreia sharadchandrajii (Convolvulaceae) has been published by the Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy
Around 40 sub-species of the Argyreia genus are present in India.
These species are found in only Asiatic countries. Of 40, 17 are endemic to India,
Now researchers have discovered an 18th one in the Alamprabhu Sacred Grove in Ramling hills
It grows in open habitats and trails on grassland but remains rooted near other shrubs

What are Sacred groves?

Sacred Groves are the tracts of virgin forests that are left untouched by the local inhabitants and are protected by the local community due to their culture and religious beliefs.
Sacred groves are relic vegetation of once dominant flora.
They are repositories of our rich biodiversity; they are also the last bastion where the rich culture and the customs of the indigenous people are still preserved.
Indian sacred groves are often associated with temples, monasteries, shrines or with burial grounds.
Sacred groves are scattered all over the country, and are referred to by different names in different parts of India.
Sacred groves occur in a variety of places – from scrub forests in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan maintained by the Bishnois, to rain forests in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
Himachal Pradesh in the north and Kerala in the south are specifically known for their large numbers of sacred groves.