GUWAHATI: A rare Himalayan flowering plant, Cyananthus hookeri, has been rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district after 158 years, marking its first confirmed record in India since it was last collected in Sikkim by British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1867.
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The species was rediscovered by scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) during a botanical survey conducted in September 2025 in Chuna Valley near Mago village in Tawang district, at an altitude of around 3,600 metres.
Cyananthus hookeri, a tiny purple-blue flowering plant belonging to the bellflower family (Campanulaceae), was once believed to have disappeared from India's botanical records. Its rediscovery confirms that the species continues to survive in the country's eastern Himalayas.
Researchers estimate that fewer than 50 mature individuals currently exist in India and have recommended that the species be classified as Endangered in the country under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria.
The rediscovery highlights Arunachal Pradesh's rich biodiversity and the ecological significance of its fragile Himalayan ecosystems. Scientists said the finding underscores the need for continued monitoring and targeted conservation measures to protect the species and its habitat from environmental threats.