Assam botanist helps put 43 Northeast plant species on the scientific map

After nearly eight years of research, Dr Dipankar Bora, a professor in the Department of Botany at Kaliabor College, has contributed to the scientific identification, documentation and description of 43 plant species found across Assam and other parts of the Northeast.
 

Dr Bora has been involved in plant research since 2018, with his primary focus on discovering and documenting plants that have not previously been scientifically described and named.
 

His research has contributed to the description of several species belonging to genera such as Begonia, Henckelia, Peliosanthes, Mycetia, Aristolochia and Chlorophytum, among others.
 

Four of the species are associated with Assam and bear scientific names incorporating terms such as “assamica” or “assamensis”, highlighting their connection with the state.
 

Among them are Aristolochia assamica, Chlorophytum assamicum, Peliosanthes macrophylla var. assamensis and Mycetia assamensis.
 

Some of these plants have long been known to local communities despite lacking formal scientific descriptions or names. Aristolochia assamica, for instance, is locally known as Ishwarimool and is called Rui etpi by the Karbi community.
 

Several of the plants documented through the research are from Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and other parts of the Northeast, reflecting the region’s rich and diverse flora.
 

Dr Bora has also chosen to honour his parents through the scientific names of two plants — Begonia bijantiae and Peliosanthes maheswariana.