Lost Alpine Flower Rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh After 158 Years

Cyananthus hookeri, a rare purple-blue alpine herb of the Campanulaceae family, was rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh after 158 years. The first confirmed Indian record since 1867 was made in the Chuna Valley near Mago village in Tawang district at an altitude of about 3,600 metres.

Species Profile

Cyananthus hookeri is a flowering alpine plant in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. It is a delicate herb adapted to high-altitude habitats in the Eastern Himalayas. The species was last documented in India by British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker in Sikkim in 1867.

Rediscovery in Arunachal Pradesh

The plant was recorded during a field survey in September 2025 by a team from the Botanical Survey of India. The team included Dr. Sudhansu Sekhar Dash, Dr. Subhajit Lahiri, and Monalisa Das. The site lies in the Chuna Valley of Tawang district, which is part of Arunachal Pradesh’s eastern Himalayan landscape.

Conservation Status and Publication

Researchers observed fewer than 50 mature plants in the wild, and some counts at the collection site showed only three to seven mature individuals. The species has been recommended for classification as Endangered in India under IUCN criteria. The findings were published online on 30 June 2026 in Oryx, a conservation journal published by Cambridge University Press.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Botanical Survey of India is the national organisation responsible for plant exploration, identification, and documentation in India.
• Arunachal Pradesh forms part of the Eastern Himalayas, a global biodiversity region with many endemic plant species.
• Campanulaceae is commonly known as the bellflower family and includes many herbaceous flowering plants.
• Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker was a 19th-century British botanist associated with Himalayan plant exploration.

Botanical and Geographical Context

High-altitude alpine plants in India are often found above the tree line in cold, rocky habitats. Tawang district is one of the northern districts of Arunachal Pradesh and contains parts of the Himalayan mountain system. Species rediscoveries in such regions are used in plant taxonomy, biodiversity surveys, and conservation planning.