Home / Science / Lost Plant Found After 180 Years in Assam Hills
Lost Plant Found After 180 Years in Assam Hills
28 Jul
Summary
- Rare plant Rungia mastersii rediscovered in Assam's Jatinga Hills.
- The species was last collected in 1845 and thought lost to science.
- Only one natural population of about 40 plants has been found.
A plant, Rungia mastersii, believed lost to science for approximately 180 years, has been found again in the Jatinga Hills of Assam. Researchers rediscovered this rare species during field surveys in the Dima Hasao district.
The plant was first collected by a British botanist in 1845 from an unspecified location in Assam. Since then, no living specimens had been reported globally, with only a single preserved specimen held by the Botanical Survey of India.
Rungia mastersii is a shrubby herb belonging to the Acanthaceae family. It typically grows between 60-110 cm tall in moist forests at elevations of 900-1,250 meters and features pale green to whitish flowers with delicate purple streaks.
Currently, only one natural population consisting of about 40 individual plants has been identified, underscoring the species' extreme rarity and vulnerability. Scientists emphasize the urgent need for habitat protection and monitoring to safeguard this rediscovered plant from extinction, also noting its potential significance for understanding Assam's poorly explored biodiversity.
