For more than a century, Cyananthus hookeriexisted only in herbarium sheets and botanical records.
Then, on a windswept alpine slope near Chuna Valley in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district, a cluster of delicate purple-blue flowers changed that.
Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have rediscoveredCyananthus hookeri, a rare Himalayan flowering plant that had not been recorded in India since 1867. The discovery marks the species’ first confirmed record in the country in 158 years and its first-ever documented presence in Arunachal Pradesh.
The findings have been published in the international conservation journal Oryx.
A flower lost to India’s records
Cyananthus hookeribelongs to the Campanulaceae, or bellflower, family and is known for its delicate, bell-shaped purple-blue blooms.
The species was first collected in India by renowned British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker during his expedition to Sikkim in 1867.
After that, it disappeared from India’s scientific records.
Although the species continued to be reported from Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and China, there was no confirmed evidence that it still survived within India’s borders.
The species was first collected in India by renowned British botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker during his expedition to Sikkim in 1867. Photograph: (Facebook/Prema Khandu)
That changed during a field survey by BSI researchers Sudhansu Sekhar Dash, Subhajit Lahiri and Monalisa Das.
While surveying high-altitude meadows near Mago village in Tawang district, the team found the species growing on alpine grassy and rocky slopes at an elevation of around 3,600 metres above sea level.
The discovery not only confirms the plant’s return to India’s botanical records but also extends its known distribution to Arunachal Pradesh for the first time.
Why this discovery matters
The rediscovery is important not because the species was thought to be extinct globally, but because it had remained undocumented in India for nearly 160 years.
Botanical records help scientists understand where species occur, how biodiversity is changing and which habitats need protection.
When a plant goes unrecorded for decades, it becomes difficult to determine whether it still survives in the wild, whether its habitat remains healthy or whether conservation measures are needed.
🌿 BSI scientists Dr. Sudhansu Sekhar Dash, Dr. Subhajit Lahiri, and Mrs. Monalisa Das have rediscovered the rare alpine species Cyananthus hookeri C.B. Clarke after an extraordinary gap of 158 years from Chuna Valley, Tawang District, Arunachal Pradesh.
This is the first… pic.twitter.com/j3W2fWUm9f
— Botanical Survey of India (@bsi_moefcc) July 5, 2026
Finding Cyananthus hookeriagain strengthens our understanding of Himalayan plant diversity and highlights the Eastern Himalayas as one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots.
It also shows that many remote, high-altitude habitats still hold surprises. Because these landscapes are difficult to access, species can survive unnoticed for decades before being scientifically documented again.
A hopeful discovery
The researchers found only a small population of mature plants at the site, suggesting the species remains vulnerable.
They say long-term monitoring will be important to understand the health of the population and protect its fragile alpine habitat.
The team has also recommended further botanical surveys across the remote Himalayas, noting that other species missing from India’s scientific records may still be waiting to be rediscovered.
After 158 years, this tiny purple flower is a reminder that India’s mountains continue to hold remarkable natural treasures—and that there is still much left to discover and protect.
