In a major breakthrough for Indian botany, scientists have officially described a new species of shrub discovered in the remote Choro village of Manipur’s Kamjong district. The species, named Dillenia nagalim, was identified along the Indo-Myanmar border during extensive botanical surveys conducted between May 2024 and May 2025. The research, led by a team from Dhanamanjuri University, was recently published in the prestigious journal Phytotaxa on April 15, 2026.
Dillenia nagalim is a unique shrub standing between 0.6 and 1.2 meters tall. It is characterized by its large, vibrant yellow flowers measuring 6 to 8 centimeters, approximately 270 stamens, and doubly serrate leaves with sharp, acuminate tips. While the species is new to the scientific community, it has long been known to the local Tangkhul Naga residents, who use its tender leaves as a vegetable and enjoy its fruits, which are noted for a distinct, sweet, and pungent golden-berry aroma.
Molecular analysis of the rbcL gene has confirmed that while Dillenia nagalim is closely related to species like D. pentagyna and D. hookeri, it remains a genetically distinct entity. However, the excitement of the discovery is tempered by grave conservation concerns. Because the plant is currently known to exist at only a single site within an open tropical deciduous forest, it has been assessed as “Critically Endangered” under the IUCN criteria.
The research team, led by Sochanngam Kashung and corresponding author Kazhuhr ii Eshuo, highlighted that the plant grows at elevations of 250 to 350 meters, sharing its habitat with commercially significant trees like teak. The discovery underscores the immense botanical richness of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, an area that continues to yield undocumented flora despite intense pressure from development and habitat conversion.
The scientists have issued an urgent plea for conservation measures, warning that this narrow endemic species faces immediate threats from anthropogenic activities. The find serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of Northeast India’s undisturbed forests and the critical need to protect unique biodiversity before it vanishes from the planet.
