Guwahati, April 30: A rare botanical treasure has quietly revealed itself from the Shirui Peak in Manipur’s Ukhrul district. It’s not the famed Shirui Lily this time, but a lesser-known beauty: Ophiorrhiza japonica Blume — a flowering herb of the Rubiaceae family, recorded for the first time in India.
The discovery, made by a team from the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) in Imphal, was no mere accident. On a cool March day in 2024, during a routine floristic survey, researchers Ngasheppam Malemnganbi Chanu, Peimichon Langkan, Thongam Nourenpai Khanganba, and Thongam Biseshwori spotted a slender, wild herb blooming modestly among the undergrowth at an altitude of 2,435 meters. At first glance, it looked like any other high-altitude herb. But on closer inspection, the plant’s delicate, funnel-shaped flowers—tinged with hues of white, green, and pale pink—hinted at something rare. The findings have been published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
The plant was earlier reported to be found in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam
Back in the lab, with careful comparisons to global herbarium records, the team confirmed their suspicion: this was Ophiorrhiza japonica, previously known to exist only in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Its presence in Manipur expands the species’ known geographical range and adds a 64th member to India’s growing Ophiorrhiza family, 35 of which are endemic to the country.
Found in semi-deciduous, moist temperate forest ecosystems, O. japonica holds not just ecological value but potential medicinal significance as well. Past literature has hinted at its pharmacological properties, though field records in India were absent—until now.
The plant, known locally as Vanaohan, blooms from December to April and has been preserved in the IBSD herbarium for future study.
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