Guwahati, Oct 20: A rare flowering shrub, Ardisia colorata, has been rediscovered in Assam’s Bongaigaon district more than two centuries after it was first described.
The species was rediscovered in the Abhaypuri area by Manash Baruah and Nilakshee Devi of the Department of Botany, Gauhati University, during botanical surveys conducted across Assam between 2020 and 2025, Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said in a social media post on Tuesday.
The finding marks the first confirmed recollection of the species in India in approximately 204 years, he said.
The researchers documented just 12 plants at the Abhaypuri site, highlighting both the scientific significance of the rediscovery and the importance of protecting the species’ natural habitat, Mallabaruah said.
The researchers examined the plant’s flowers, leaves and historical descriptions to distinguish it from a closely related species.
Their findings, published in the botanical journal Feddes Repertorium, also resolve scientific naming confusion that had persisted for generations, Mallabaruah said.
The evergreen shrub grows in shady, humid forest environments and bears pink, reddish or purplish flowers.
Mallabaruah said the discovery served as a reminder that Assam’s forests still held valuable natural treasures waiting to be recognised and understood.
“By supporting botanical research, protecting undisturbed forest habitats and documenting our plant diversity, we can strengthen conservation efforts and safeguard species that might otherwise remain overlooked,” he said.
The minister added that the state’s natural heritage extended beyond the wildlife commonly seen, noting that even a little-known flowering plant could hold centuries of scientific history and ecological value.
“The rediscovery of Ardisia colorata is a proud moment for Assam’s research community and a reminder that every forest holds stories worth preserving for future generations,” he said.
First described by British horticulturist George Loddiges in 1821, Ardisia colorata had largely disappeared from Indian botanical literature, he added.
PTI