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Scientists find new plants on Earth - 25th March 2024

Last year, London's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, made some exciting discoveries. Their science team travelled everywhere – from Antarctica to Madagascar. They found 76 new kinds of plant and 15 new fungi.

Local communities helped the team to find the plants. In Madagascar, an orchid was saved by accident. The local people were protecting the area where it grew. But they weren't interested in the flower. The area's home to a very beautiful bird.

In Borneo, an amazing tree was found which produces both flowers and fruit under the earth. Scientists think that this is very unusual. People who live there knew about the plant. They've eaten its delicious fruit for a long time.

The Kew research team made some discoveries in extreme conditions. They saw trees in the Kalahari desert which are 90 percent underground. They also found fungi on rocks in Antarctica.

New plant discoveries help us to learn more about our planet. Plants often work together and help each other. It's thought that 100,000 plants are still unknown to us.

But humans and climate change are causing problems for 75 percent of them. Scientists need to find them before they disappear. This information can help us to save the planet.