Oedocladium sahyadricum

Oedocladium sahyadricum is a recently discovered species of green algae found in the Western Ghats of India, specifically in the Kumbhavurutty forests of Kerala.

It is the first record of the Oedocladium genus in Kerala.

The researchers identified the species by its unique features such as being dioecious (having the male and female reproductive organs in separate individuals) and terrestrial, having a superior operculum (lid on the reproductive structure), and possessing ellipsoid oogonium (female reproductive organ) and oospore (fertilised egg with a distinct wall).

Species of Oedocladium have potential practical applications in medicine, agriculture, and in the production of a natural pigment, astaxanthin.