Botanists identify 33 'dark spots' for unknown plants

Botanists have identified 33 "dark spots" around the world where thousands of plant species are probably waiting to be discovered.

- Patrick Greenfield

From a palm tree in Borneo that flowers underground to a Malagasy orchid that spends its life growing on other plants, researchers are still making dozens of new species discoveries every year.

But with more than 100,000 plant species believed to be undiscovered, the majority of which are believed to be at risk of extinction, a new project led by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London is highlighting parts of the world where botanists should be concentrating their search.

From Madagascar to Bolivia, scientists have identified the areas of plant diversity in an effort to speed up identification. The study, published in the journal New Phytologist, builds on analysis by researchers at Kew last year that found three-quarters of all undescribed plant species were likely to be threatened with extinction.

Scientists believe the unknown species could hold clues to future drug discoveries, fuels or other innovations.