New From Kew

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (which is full of taxonomists) has a tradition of revealing new species of plants and fungi they have named in the year. 2020 has seen a bumper crop with 156 new species (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/17/ugliest-orchid-in-the-world-among-2020s-new-plant-discoveries-kew-gardens). Notable finds include the world's 'ugliest orchid' (Gastrodia agnicella), which flowers on the forest floor in the National Park of Madagascar. The brown flower produces a pungent smell and may be pollinated by flies. There is also a new Family for the Order Brassicales (to which the cabbages belong). This is strange, dwarf shrub with scaley leaves, Tiganophyton growing in hot, natural salt pans in Namibia. Even more remarkable, was the discovery of a new species of toadstool, from the margins of busy Heathrow airport (serving London). These finds seem to be sending out encouraging noises about plant diversity. It is important to note, however, Kew's warning that some 40% of the world's plants are currently threatened by extinction.