Environment & Ecology

Botanical Survey of India Rediscovers Himalayan Bellflower in Arunachal After 158 Years

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Thursday, 9 July 2026 2 min readSource: Indulge ExpressArticle 12 of 20

The rare Himalayan flowering plant Cyananthus hookeri, locally known as pema, has been rediscovered in India after 158 years, scientists of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) confirmed. The species was located at an altitude of about 3,600 metres near Chuna Valley, close to Mago village in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh — the first confirmed record in the country since it was last documented in Sikkim in 1867 by British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker. The purple-blue plant belongs to the bellflower family Campanulaceae, and the finding has been published in the international conservation journal Oryx. With fewer than 50 mature individuals observed, researchers have recommended it be listed as Endangered nationally under IUCN criteria. It was first spotted during a botanical survey in September 2025 by BSI scientists Subhajit Lahiri, Monalisa Das and Sudhansu Sekhar Dash.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) rediscovered the rare bellflower Cyananthus hookeri (locally pema) in India after 158 years.
2
It was found at about 3,600 metres near Chuna Valley, close to Mago village, Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh.
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The species was last documented in India in Sikkim in 1867 by British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, and this is its first-ever record in Arunachal Pradesh.
4
The purple-blue plant belongs to the bellflower family Campanulaceae, and the finding was published in the journal Oryx.
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With fewer than 50 mature individuals, researchers recommended listing it as Endangered under IUCN criteria.
6
It was first spotted in September 2025 by BSI scientists Subhajit Lahiri, Monalisa Das and Sudhansu Sekhar Dash.

Deep Dive

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The species is also found in parts of the eastern Himalayas including Bhutan, China, Nepal and Tibet, but remains extremely rare in India.
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The same BSI team earlier rediscovered another rare plant, Geum macrosepalum, near the Se La Pass, roughly 120 years after its last Indian record.
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The rediscovery is expected to aid conservation planning for fragile alpine habitats in the eastern Himalayas.

Exam Focus

The species name and family, the state of rediscovery, the number of years since its last Indian record, and the agency responsible.

Exam Relevance & Angle

Species rediscoveries are recurring environment and ecology questions. This item carries the exact hooks examiners test — the species (Cyananthus hookeri), the agency (Botanical Survey of India), the state (Arunachal Pradesh), the 158-year gap, and the recommended Endangered status — an ideal biodiversity fact cluster.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POSSC CGLRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

The Botanical Survey of India (BSI), established in 1890 and headquartered in Kolkata under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is the apex body for surveying and documenting the country's plant wealth. The eastern Himalayas, especially Arunachal Pradesh, form one of the world's recognised biodiversity hotspots, hosting numerous endemic and rare species in their high-altitude alpine zones. The IUCN Red List classifies species into categories such as Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered based on population size and range. Rediscoveries of long-lost species help scientists reassess extinction risk and prioritise protection of the fragile habitats where such plants cling on.