Itanagar, May 19: Nearly 120 years after its last official record in India, the rare alpine plant, Geum macrosepalum has been rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh by researchers from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).
The species, endemic to the eastern Himalaya and assessed as vulnerable, was located during an extensive survey of high altitude meadows near the strategic Sela Pass in western Arunachal.
The find was part of a field study on climate change impacts on floristic diversity and vascular plant migration in the alpine and subalpine belts of western Arunachal.
Botanists Subhajit Lahiri, Monalisa Das, and Sudhansu Sekhar Dash recorded the species in the Sela area, between Tawang and West Kameng districts, at an elevation of about 4,200 metres. The discovery has been published in the international journal “Phytotaxa”, which noted it as a significant contribution to understanding the fragile eastern Himalayan ecosystem.
Researchers said the plant was last reliably collected in India in 1905 from Sikkim, with only a handful of historical records since. A member of the rose family, Geum macrosepalum bears pale yellow to ivory yellow flowers tinged with red. Its drooping blossoms are adapted to the harsh alpine climate.
The team found it growing in alpine meadows and marshy patches, among the least explored habitats of the Indian Himalaya. Applying IUCN criteria, the researchers classified the species as ‘vulnerable’ in India, citing its limited range and rising habitat pressure from development and ecological disturbance.
The rediscovery, scientists said, underscores the need for stronger floristic surveys and long term conservation in Arunachal. The state lies within the eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, home to many endemic and rare species that remain undocumented due to difficult terrain.
The finding has been welcomed by scientists, conservationists, and policymakers. Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein called it proof of the state’s ecological richness.
“Rediscovering a forgotten treasure of the eastern Himalaya. The rare Geum macrosepalum, unseen in India for nearly 120 years, has been found again in the alpine landscapes of Arunachal Pradesh,” Mein said on Monday.
In recent years, Arunachal has become a focal point for botanical work, with new and rare orchids, begonias, and alpine herbs reported from its remote ranges.
