ITANAGAR: The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has discovered a new plant species from Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh’s Papum Pare district.
According to researchers, the recently discovered ‘Phlogacanthus Sudhansusekharii’ belongs to the family ‘Acanthaceae’ and the ‘Phlogacanthus’ genus.
The new plant species has been named after Dr Sudhansu Sekhar Dash, a scientist at the BSI. Dash has made a significant contribution to plant and ecological research in the Indian Himalayan region.
Researchers said the genus ‘Phlogacanthus’ comprises 13 species in India and is spread mainly over the northeastern and eastern Himalayan states.
The details about the new plant species have been published by authors Samrat Goswami and Rohan Maity in the Indian Journal of Forestry.
Commenting on the discovery of the plant species in Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said, “The biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh is wide & varied. In addition to the findings of new flora, researchers from @bsi_moefcc have identified a new plant species, named Phlogacanthus sudhansusekharii, in the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary.”
He said this discovery reminds us of our rich natural heritage and our responsibility to preserve it for future generations.
