A rare Himalayan flowering plant, Cyananthus hookeri, has been rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district after 158 years, marking its first confirmed sighting in India since it was last recorded in Sikkim in 1867.
The species was documented by scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) during a field survey near Chuna Valley, close to Mago village, at an altitude of around 3,600 metres. The discovery has been published in the international conservation journal Oryx.
Researchers said the purple-blue flowering plant belongs to the bellflower family (Campanulaceae) and was last recorded in India by noted British botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker during his expedition to Sikkim in 1867. The latest finding is also the first confirmed record of the species in Arunachal Pradesh.
During the survey conducted in September 2025, scientists found fewer than 50 mature plants growing on alpine grassy and rocky slopes, highlighting the species' rarity and restricted distribution in the country.
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Based on the limited population, the researchers have recommended that Cyananthus hookeri be classified as Endangered in India under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria.
Although the species is known to occur in parts of Bhutan, China and Nepal, it has remained extremely rare in India for more than a century and a half.
The study was carried out by BSI scientists Subhajit Lahiri, Monalisa Das and Sudhansu Sekhar Dash, whose findings have added a significant chapter to India's botanical records.
Welcoming the discovery, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein described it as a major milestone for India's botanical heritage. He said the rediscovery underscores the state's extraordinary biodiversity and highlights the importance of conserving its fragile Himalayan ecosystems.
Part of the globally recognised Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, Arunachal Pradesh is home to thousands of plant species, many of them rare or endemic. Officials said the latest rediscovery further reinforces the state's significance as a global centre for biodiversity conservation and botanical research.
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