Guwahati: Researchers have identified a new flowering plant species in Assam’s Manas National Park, adding to the state’s documented floral diversity.The species, named Osbeckia assamensis, belongs to the Melastomataceae family and has been scientifically described by researchers Barnali Das and Namita Nath. Their study was published in the journal ‘Phytotaxa’ on Oct 22.“The study describes the species following extensive field surveys conducted between 2021 and 2025. The researchers found the plant growing in scattered populations across the grasslands of the national park,” Nath said.She added that the newly described species is a perennial shrub that grows to between 2 and 2.5 metres in height. It bears pink flowers measuring 3 to 3.5 cm in length, with each inflorescence carrying about 30 to 35 flowers.“The plant flowers and fruits between Sept and Feb. According to the researchers, Osbeckia assamensis resembles the closely related Osbeckia nayarii but differs in several morphological characteristics, including its stem structure, flower arrangement, hairy calyx margins and seed size,” she said.A detailed examination of these features, along with comparisons with related species and herbarium specimens, helped establish the plant as a distinct species. The type specimen was collected from Manas National Park on Oct 8, 2022, while another specimen was documented in Oct 2025.The researchers have categorised the species as Data Deficient under the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as it is currently known only from its type locality. Further studies may be required to establish its distribution and conservation needs.
