New plant genus discovered in Montenegro

A team of international researchers, including Manica Balant from the Botanical Institute of Barcelona, has described a new plant species and genus: Petrolamium crnojevicii.

The discovery was made in Montenegro, where scientists encountered a plant that did not match the morphology of any known species. To confirm its identity, they conducted molecular genetic, morphological, and cytogenetic studies, with Manica Balant contributing to the research. The conclusion: this plant is distinct enough to warrant its own genus, Petrolamium, which currently includes only this species.

In recent decades, molecular techniques have revolutionized species identification. In many cases, what was once considered a single species has turned out to be a group of closely related species. Given that Europe’s flora has been extensively studied, the identification of a new species is a rare and significant find, and the discovery of a new genus is even more remarkable.

The genus Petrolamium, a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae), was found in a small rocky area in Montenegro, where it grows in cracks in calcareous rocks. Due to its limited distribution and the threats to its habitat, the species has been proposed for inclusion on the Red List of Threatened Species as Critically Endangered.

Reference article:

Surina, B. et al. (2025) ‘Morphology and molecules revealed a remarkable new genus of Lamiaceae, a surprising discovery in south‐Eastern Europe’, TAXON [Preprint]. doi: 10.1002/tax.13313.