New species Osbeckia zubeengargiana discovered in Assam, named after Zubeen Garg

Researchers from Gauhati University have discovered a new plant species in Assam and named it after legendary Assamese singer Zubeen Garg in recognition of his contribution to culture and nature conservation.

The newly identified species, named Osbeckia zubeengargiana, belongs to the Melastomataceae family and was discovered in the grasslands of Manas National Park.

The discovery was made by researchers Barnali Das, Prashob Pulpra and Namita Nath during floristic explorations carried out between 2021 and 2025 as part of a doctoral research project on the Melastomataceae family in Assam.

According to the researchers, the new species is closely related to Osbeckia rostrata but differs in several morphological characteristics, including its leaf structure, flower arrangement, hypanthium shape and seed size. The plant is a perennial erect shrub that grows up to 3.5 metres tall and produces pink tetramerous flowers.

The species was collected from Manas National Park in Baksa district, where a large population was observed growing in grassland ecosystems.

Researchers said the plant flowers and fruits from mid-September to January and is found in association with species such as Chrysopogon zizanioides, Maesa indica, Bombax ceiba and Dillenia pentagyna.

The species has been named Osbeckia zubeengargiana to honour Zubeen Garg for his outstanding contribution to Assamese culture as a singer, lyricist, filmmaker and poet, as well as for his advocacy for nature conservation.

Researchers said the discovery adds to the botanical diversity of Assam and contributes to the scientific understanding of the genus Osbeckia, which is widely distributed in Southeast Asia and has several endemic species in India’s Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats.