New types of coffee, parsnips and roses among 1,700 plants discovered last year

From new parsnips and herbs to begonias and roses, the world’s plant hunters discovered more than 1,700 new species last year, offering the prospect of better crops and new colours and scents in the garden.
The State of the World’s Plants report, led by scientists at the Royal Botanical Garden Kew in the UK and published on Thursday, reveals a cornucopia of new plants and assesses the risk to the plant world from pests and invasive species.
The most significant new food find was 11 new species of cassava found in Brazil which may help develop better varieties for the millions of people who depend upon it across the tropics. Capers, ginger, vanilla and sugar cane were among the other edible plants with newly found wild relatives.-read more

Sokinochloa australis, a new type of bamboo from Madagascar. Photograph: Royal Kew Gardens

The most striking new discovery was a bamboo from Madagascar which produces spiky, hedgehog-like flower clusters – but takes at least a decade to develop them and