Guwahati: Researchers have identified a new flowering plant species in Manas National Park, adding to the region’s botanical diversity and highlighting the ecological importance of its grasslands.
The plant, named Osbeckia assamensis, belongs to the Melastomataceae family and has been described by Barnali Das and Professor Namita Nath, botanists from Gauhati University, in a study published in the journal Phytotaxa on October 22. Das is also affiliated with Pragjyotish College, Guwahati.
The species was found growing in grasslands within Manas National Park, where researchers observed it during floristic surveys conducted between 2021 and 2025. The area forms part of the foothills of the Himalayas.
The newly described plant is a perennial shrub that grows between 2 and 2.5 metres tall. It has pink flowers, large opposite leaves and a largely unbranched stem. Its flowering and fruiting season extends from September to February.
Researchers distinguished it from the closely related Osbeckia nayarii by examining its stem, leaves, flowers and seeds. The new species has an inflorescence bearing 30 to 35 flowers, compared with five to 12 in O. nayarii. It also has distinctive hairs along its stem and longer seeds.
The discovery followed a detailed examination of collected specimens and comparisons with herbarium material and other related species.
The researchers said O. assamensis is currently known only from its type locality in Manas National Park. Its conservation status has been classified as Data Deficient under the IUCN criteria, meaning there is insufficient information to determine its risk of extinction.
Barnali Das was part of a team comprising Namita Nath and researcher Prashob Pulpra that discovered Osbeckia zubeengargiana, a new plant species named after Zubeen Garg, in Manas National Park.
The study noted that the plant grows in grassland habitats alongside other species, including Alpinia, Maesa indica and Dillenia pentagyna.
The discovery adds another species to the growing list of plants documented from Assam. It also underscores the importance of continued botanical surveys in the state’s protected areas, where detailed fieldwork can reveal species that have remained scientifically unrecognised.