Researchers from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have rediscovered the rare Himalayan flowering plant Geum macrosepalum in Arunachal Pradesh nearly 120 years after its last confirmed record in India (1905).

Discovery Highlights

• The species was rediscovered near Se La Pass between Tawang and West Kameng districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It was found during a study on the impact of climate change on alpine and sub-alpine plant diversity in the Eastern Himalayas.
• The plant was recorded at an altitude of around 4,200 metres in alpine meadows and marshy habitats.
• The findings have been published in the international journal Phytotaxa.
• The species was last reliably collected from Sikkim in 1905.

About Geum macrosepalum

Botanical Profile

• It belongs to the Rose Family (Rosaceae).
• It is endemic to the Eastern Himalayas, meaning it is naturally found only in this region.
• It bears pale yellow to ivory-yellow flowers with reddish tinges and drooping blossoms.
• The species is specially adapted to survive the harsh conditions of high-altitude Himalayan ecosystems.

Conservation Significance

• The species has been classified as ‘Vulnerable’ using IUCN assessment parameters.
• It faces threats from:
  • Restricted geographical distribution.
  • Habitat degradation caused by infrastructure development.
  • Climate change impacts on fragile mountain ecosystems.
• The rediscovery highlights the importance of the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot, one of the world’s richest centres of endemic flora and fauna.

Exam Hook ( Prelims)

Geum macrosepalum, recently seen in the news, is:
(a) A rare Himalayan flowering plant
(b) A high-altitude medicinal fungus
(c) A newly discovered butterfly species
(d) An endemic Himalayan conifer

Answer: (a)

One-Line Wrap

The rediscovery of Geum macrosepalum after 120 years highlights the extraordinary biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh and the urgent need to conserve fragile Himalayan ecosystems.

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