Rare Himalayan flower rediscovered in Arunachal after 158 years

A rare Himalayan flowering plant, Cyananthus hookeri, has been rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district after 158 years, marking its first confirmed sighting in India since it was last documented in Sikkim in 1867.

The species was recorded by scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) during a field survey near Chuna Valley, close to Mago village, at an altitude of about 3,600 metres. The discovery has been published in the international conservation journal Oryx.

Researchers said the purple-blue flowering plant, which belongs to the bellflower family (Campanulaceae), was last recorded in India by renowned British botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker during his expedition to Sikkim in 1867. The latest finding is also the first confirmed record of the species in Arunachal Pradesh.

During the September 2025 survey, scientists found fewer than 50 mature plants growing on alpine grassy and rocky slopes, underscoring the species' rarity. Based on its small population and restricted distribution, the researchers have recommended that Cyananthus hookeri be classified as Endangered in India under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria.

Although the species is known to occur in parts of Bhutan, China and Nepal, it remains extremely rare within India.

The study was conducted by BSI scientists Subhajit Lahiri, Monalisa Das and Sudhansu Sekhar Dash.

Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein described the rediscovery as a significant milestone for India's botanical heritage, saying it highlights the state's extraordinary biodiversity and reinforces the need to conserve its fragile Himalayan ecosystems.

Part of the globally recognised Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, Arunachal Pradesh is home to thousands of plant species, many of them endemic or rare. Officials said the latest discovery further strengthens the state's importance as a centre for biodiversity conservation and botanical research.