Rare Himalayan flower rediscovered in Arunachal after 158 years

Tawang: A rare Himalayan flower, Cyananthus hookeri, has been rediscovered in India after 158 years.

Botanical Survey of India scientists found the delicate purple-blue plant on alpine slopes near Chuna Valley in Tawang district, at about 3,600 metres elevation. The findings were published in the journal Oryx.

First collected in Sikkim by Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1867, the species had not been recorded in India since. It was known to exist in Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and China, but its presence in India was unconfirmed.

The team found only a small population, indicating it remains vulnerable. Researchers say the discovery highlights the Eastern Himalayas as a biodiversity hotspot and calls for more surveys in remote high-altitude areas to find other “lost” species.