Arunachal Pradesh: New Plant Species Petrocosmea Arunachalense Discovered from Mandala Region of West Kameng District 

A team of researchers from the Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre of the Botanical Survey of India has discovered a new plant species from the Mandala region of West Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh. It has been named Petrocosmea arunachalense.

Belonging to the family Gesneriaceae, Petrocosmea arunachalense is notable for being only the second known species of the genus Petrocosmea found in India. This significant discovery adds to the botanical diversity and underscores the rich flora of Arunachal Pradesh.

The detailed research findings have been published in the latest issue of the Nordic Journal of Botany. The discovery was led by Dr Krishna Chowlu, along with researchers Akshath Shenoy and Ajit Ray from APRC, Itanagar. Their work highlights the ongoing efforts to explore and document the unique plant biodiversity of the region.