export_ofoct.com
[00:00.16] Scientists from Kew Gardens described almost 100 plants and fungi that were new to science last year, from a red-flowered orchid that grows on the top of an extinct volcano, to lichens clinging to rocks in Antarctica and a palm tree that thrives underground.
[00:16.10] They say the new species are a reminder of the beauty and wonder of the natural world and also a stark warning of the dangers of biodiversity loss and climate change.
[00:26.19] The scientists are calling for immediate protection for the newly-identified plants and fungi, but say some may have gone extinct even before they were given a formal scientific name.
[00:37.09] Around three in four undescribed plants are threatened with extinction. Among them may be new sources of food, medicines and other things useful to humanity.
