Guwahati: A plant described more than 200 years ago but largely overlooked in Indian botanical literature has been rediscovered in Assam, with researchers from Gauhati University confirming its identity and resolving a long-standing taxonomic confusion.
The flowering shrub, Ardisia colorata G. Lodd., was found in the Abhaypuri area of Bongaigaon district, marking its first confirmed recollection from India in about 204 years, according to a study published in the botanical journal Feddes Repertorium.
The discovery emerged from botanical surveys conducted across Assam between 2020 and 2025. Researchers initially suspected the specimen was Ardisia solanacea, a related species, but a closer examination of its flowers, leaves and historical descriptions revealed that it belonged to the little-known A. colorata.
The study, by Manash Baruah and Nilakshee Devi of Gauhati University’s Department of Botany, also untangles confusion over the plant’s scientific name, which had persisted in botanical records for generations.
A botanical mystery dating back to 1821
The species was first described by British horticulturist George Loddiges in 1821, based on plant material introduced from India into cultivation in Britain around 1816.
Loddiges admired its glossy, laurel-like leaves and clusters of flowers that bloomed over several months. Yet the plant’s precise Indian origin was never recorded, and its identity subsequently became obscured by the use of the same scientific name for other, distinct species.
The researchers found that Ardisia colorata had largely escaped systematic indexing and was absent from major printed editions of the Index Kewensis, as well as Indian floristic literature.
A critical examination of its original description and historical botanical illustrations helped establish that Loddiges’ species was distinct from similarly named plants described by other botanists.
Twelve plants found in Bongaigaon
The researchers documented a population of just 12 plants at the Abhaypuri locality, in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas, at an elevation of about 211 metres.
The evergreen shrub grows between 0.5 and two metres tall. It has glossy, leathery leaves and pink to reddish or purplish flowers. Its flowering season extends from April to June.
The plant grows in shady, humid and relatively undisturbed forest habitats.
Its identity was established through comparisons with the original description, a historical illustration designated as the species’ reference type, and specimens of related plants.
The researchers also collected a specimen on May 6, 2025, which was deposited at Gauhati University’s herbarium.
Why the rediscovery matters
The study shows how botanical discoveries can emerge not only through the identification of entirely new species but also through revisiting plants whose identities have been overlooked or confused.
The researchers clarified that Ardisia colorata, as described by Loddiges, is distinct from A. sanguinolenta, while other plants historically assigned the same name were affected by nomenclatural complications.
The findings establish the correct identity of the Assam plant and provide a more precise description to help botanists recognise it in the field.
However, the discovery also raises questions about the species’ survival. With only 12 plants recorded at the surveyed site, its wider distribution and population remain uncertain.
The researchers have classified its conservation status as Data Deficient, meaning there is insufficient information to assess its risk of extinction.
The study, published in Feddes Repertorium, shows how field surveys and historical botanical records can help identify overlooked elements of India’s plant diversity.