Arunachal: Researchers discover new plant species in Mayodia
Pasighat: Researchers from the Pasighat-based North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) have discovered a new plant species from forest areas of Mayodia in Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The plant species, 'Ophiorrhiza gajureliana,' belongs to the Rubiaceae family and the Ophiorrhiza genus.
The plant is named in honour of Prof Padma Raj Gajurel, a faculty member at the Nirjuli-based North Eastern Regional Institute of Science & Technology (NERIST), for his significant contributions to plant and ethnobotanical research in the Eastern Himalayas.
An expedition was undertaken on September 8, 2023 by the NEIAFMR research team to document the medicinal plant diversity in the Lower Dibang Valley district.
During field explorations, the team came across an Ophiorrhiza species growing on hill slopes near a waterfall.
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The herbarium specimens were collected, processed and prepared using conventional taxonomic techniques. The specimens were then deposited at NEIAFMRH, and their identification was completed by reviewing pertinent literature.
Currently recorded from only one small area on the hill slopes in the Lower Dibang Valley district, the total known population of the plant is estimated to consist of fewer than 100 mature individuals.
The extent of occurrence of the species is less than 100 square kilometres, and the major threats include landslides.
The research team evaluated the taxon as critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN's) categories and criteria, based on the available data.
The plant’s extinction can be prevented by initiating immediate conservation actions, as locally, the flowers are crushed, and their juice is used for cough remedies.