 |
Vijaynagar, May 26:
In a remarkable botanical breakthrough, scientists have rediscovered Vaccinium piliferum, a rare and endangered wild relative of the blueberry, in Arunachal Pradesh nearly 188 years after it was first documented during the colonial era.
The species was rediscovered during extensive field surveys conducted in Vijoynagar of Changlang district by researchers from the Society for Education and Environmental Development (SEED), the CSIR–North East Institute of Science and Technology and collaborating institutions. The findings were recently published in the international peer-reviewed journal Feddes Repertorium.
Researchers stated that the species was originally collected in November 1836 by renowned British botanist William Griffith from the Mishmi Hills region of present-day Arunachal Pradesh. A second collection was later recorded in 1850 from the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya by celebrated botanists Joseph Dalton Hooker and T. Thomson. However, no confirmed sightings or scientific records of the species had been reported for more than a century and a half.
The newly discovered population was located along tributaries of the Noa-Dihing River near Vijoynagar at elevations ranging between 1,150 and 1,280 metres above sea level. Scientists documented only 16 individual plants spread across an area of approximately two square kilometres, with most of the plants occurring in isolated patches far from one another.
 |
| Re-discovered Vaccinium piliferum plant. |
Already classified as “Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the species faces serious threats due to its extremely limited population size and fragile forest habitat. Researchers have also recorded GPS coordinates of the identified plants to support long-term monitoring and future conservation initiatives.
Belonging to the Ericaceae family, which includes blueberries and cranberries, Vaccinium piliferum is described as a climbing shrub capable of growing up to 4.5 metres in height by attaching itself to surrounding trees in dense forest ecosystems. The species produces pale green bell-shaped flowers and dark purple berry-like fruits coated with a whitish-blue waxy layer, closely resembling cultivated blueberries.
According to the study, the rediscovered population displayed several previously undocumented characteristics, including an epiphytic growth habit, reddish leaf margins and distinctive blueberry-like fruits. Scientists noted that these new observations could contribute significantly to the understanding of the species’ ecology and evolutionary adaptation.
Researchers said the rediscovery once again highlights the extraordinary ecological richness of Arunachal Pradesh and the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. They emphasized that continued botanical exploration and habitat conservation in remote Himalayan forests remain crucial for protecting rare and lesser-known plant species from extinction.
