Wildlife foundation claims discovery of new variety of tree, names it after Rashmi Thackeray

Mumbai, Jul 11 (PTI) A wildlife foundation headed by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's son Tejas Thackeray has claimed to have discovered a new species of Mitrephora, a small tree with exquisite flowers in the Custard Apple family (Annonaceae). The foundation has named this species as Mitrephora rashmiae after Rashmi Thackeray, the wife of Uddhav Thackeray. The discovery was made in the remote forests of the Subansiri Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. "We have named this species Mitrephora rashmiae in honour of Mrs Rashmi Thackeray, dedicated to her for nurturing Tejas Thackeray's childhood curiosity for the natural world, fostering his lifelong passion for taxonomy, and for her support in the establishment and growth of the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation," the foundation said on Instagram. This remarkable species is currently known from just a single individual, and it is only the second species of Mitrephora recorded from the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, it added. Beyond its rarity, the species stands out for its unusual flower geometry. It is also the only known member of its genus to bear both male and bisexual flowers on the same tree, according to the foundation. Tejas Thackeray is a wildlife conservationist and researcher. The foundation works in the fields of zoology and botany. PTI PR NSK