📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Streinzer M, Chakravorty J, Neumayer J, Megu K, Na
Science
Alpine Flower Re‑discovered in Arunachal Pradesh After 158‑Year Absence
✍️ GK Today
🗓 10 Jul 2026, 01:02 PM
👁 4
Scientists have found a rare alpine flower in Arunachal Pradesh, the first sighting in 158 years.
A team of botanists from the Indian Institute of Science reported the rediscovery of a rare alpine flower in the high‑altitude ranges of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday. The species, first documented in the early 19th century, had not been recorded in the region for more than a century and a half.
The flower, belonging to the genus *Gentiana*, is prized for its striking blue petals and its role as an indicator of pristine alpine ecosystems. Its return signals a potential recovery of the fragile mountain habitats that have been threatened by climate change and human encroachment.
Lead researcher Dr. R. K. Sharma explained that the team used satellite imagery to pinpoint suitable habitats and then conducted a ground survey during the brief flowering season. The specimen was collected for genetic analysis and is now being cultivated in a controlled environment to study its growth requirements.
Conservationists see the find as a hopeful sign, urging the government to strengthen protection measures in the region’s national parks. Further studies are planned to assess the population size and to develop a long‑term monitoring plan.
The flower, belonging to the genus *Gentiana*, is prized for its striking blue petals and its role as an indicator of pristine alpine ecosystems. Its return signals a potential recovery of the fragile mountain habitats that have been threatened by climate change and human encroachment.
Lead researcher Dr. R. K. Sharma explained that the team used satellite imagery to pinpoint suitable habitats and then conducted a ground survey during the brief flowering season. The specimen was collected for genetic analysis and is now being cultivated in a controlled environment to study its growth requirements.
Conservationists see the find as a hopeful sign, urging the government to strengthen protection measures in the region’s national parks. Further studies are planned to assess the population size and to develop a long‑term monitoring plan.