Allographa Lichen Discovery, Western Ghats

The discovery, who led it, and the five species

• Scientists found 5 new species of the lichen genus Allographa in the Western Ghats. See The Western Ghats (Sahyadri).
• The research was led by MACS Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune.
• The species are Allographa keralensis, A. nayakae, A. paraconsanguinea, A. persistinspersa, and A. semicarbonisata.
• A. keralensis is named for Kerala, where it was found.
• A. nayakae honours Indian lichenologist Dr. Sanjeeva Nayaka.

What a lichen actually is, and its family

• A lichen is not one organism. It forms through symbiosis, when a fungus teams up with algae or cyanobacteria.
• Allographa belongs to the family Graphidaceae. It is often called “script lichens” for its elongated fruiting bodies.

A large genus, and the first of its kind

• Worldwide, the genus Allographa has over 200 known species.
• This is the first comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of Allographa in the Western Ghats.
• The team also produced new molecular data for 5 previously known species. They compiled an updated checklist of the genus in the Western Ghats.
• Lichens are sensitive to pollution and habitat change. That makes them useful indicators of forest health and environmental quality.

The real trap, and a second trap

• Do not confuse a lichen with a plant or a single fungus. It is a partnership of two kinds of organisms. This is a classic exam point on symbiosis.
• The two partners have different jobs. The fungus gives structure and protection. The alga or cyanobacterium does the photosynthesis.
• Swapping those jobs is an easy way to write a wrong option.
• Naming a species after a place or person is common. It records where the find happened and whose earlier work made it possible.

Still yielding new species

• Five new species from one genus in a single study shows how rich the Western Ghats still are. Even well-studied groups keep yielding new species.
• For a similar find elsewhere, see New Banana Species, Andaman Islands.

A new legless amphibian: Gegeneophis chandgadi

• 12 September 2026: a team led by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) described a new legless, underground amphibian. It is a caecilian. It was found at Buzawade, Chandgad, Kolhapur district, in the Northern Western Ghats.
• It is named after the local Chandgadi dialect of Marathi. It belongs to the genus Gegeneophis, which has several Indian caecilians.
• It was formally published in the Records of the Zoological Survey of India on 2 September 2026.

The DST announcement

• 21 July 2026: the Department of Science and Technology (DST) announced the 5 new Allographa species. ARI, Pune led the research.
• The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Mycological Progress.