A snowdrop discovered on Facebook, a miracle berry that tricks your tastebuds and a rubbery shrub that oozes its own superglue are among new plant species that were discovered in 2019. Kew scientists officially named 102 plants and eight fungi in 2019, but many are already in danger of extinction. There are almost 400,000 known species of plant, and about 2,000 new species are named every year. Photograph: D.Zubov/RBG KewThe new miracle berry species was discovered the rainforests of the Chimanimani Mountains, on the Mozambique-Zimbabwe border. Kew scientists expect the shrub to become globally extinct when construction of a hydroelectric dam begins next year.

Source: The Guardian December 17, 2019 06:00 UTC