Discovered near Laitsohum village, the new species is only the third corm-bearing Eriocaulon known to science and may survive in just one tiny corner of the Khasi Hills.
ROOPAK GOSWAMI
Shillong, June 24: Even after centuries of botanical exploration, Meghalaya continues to surprise scientists.
Researchers have discovered a new plant species in the East Khasi Hills that is found nowhere else on Earth—and it belongs to an exceptionally exclusive club, being only the third known corm-bearing species of its genus anywhere in the world.
The newly discovered species, named Eriocaulon meghalayense, was identified by a team of botanists from the University of Calicut comprising Vahidha Parveen A., Santhosh Nampy, Lulu Mumthas V.K., Vaishnavi K.P., Archana Balakrishnan and Arshad K. Their findings have been published in the latest issue of the international journal Phytotaxa.
Named after Meghalaya, the species was discovered near Laitsohum village in East Khasi Hills, growing on moist rock surfaces beside streams at an altitude of about 1,200 metres. Remarkably, scientists have so far found the plant in only this single locality.
What makes the discovery extraordinary is the presence of a corm—a bulb-like underground stem that stores water and nutrients, enabling plants to survive difficult conditions. Although India is home to 113 known species of Eriocaulon, none had previously been found with a corm.
Worldwide, the only other corm-bearing species of the genus occur in Thailand and Laos, putting Meghalaya’s newest botanical discovery in a highly exclusive global league.
Researchers believe the corm evolved as a survival strategy, helping the plant endure the seasonal cycle of heavy monsoon rains followed by drier periods that characterise Meghalaya’s high-altitude rocky landscapes. The study says this adaptation may hold important clues about how plants evolve to cope with environmental stress.
The discovery also underscores just how much of Meghalaya’s biodiversity remains unexplored.
The plant was not found deep inside an inaccessible forest but in a streamside habitat near a roadside, suggesting that even relatively accessible corners of the state may still harbour species unknown to science.
Yet the discovery comes with a note of caution.
Scientists recorded fewer than 50 mature individuals of the species and have provisionally classified it as Data Deficient, meaning more research is needed to determine whether it is endangered. They warn that grazing by domestic animals and disturbances along roadsides and stream margins could threaten its fragile habitat.
The finding adds to a growing list of new species—from plants and spiders to frogs and insects—being discovered in Meghalaya in recent years, reinforcing the state’s reputation as one of India’s richest biodiversity hotspots.
For Meghalaya, the message is both exciting and sobering: hidden among its streams and rocky plateaus are species that science is only now beginning to uncover, and some of them may be so rare that they exist nowhere else on the planet.
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