Itanagar, July 13 -- A team of researchers has uncovered a remarkable new species of Berberis in the high-altitude forests of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

This discovery marks a significant addition to the known flora of the Eastern Himalayas and sets a new record for ovule count within the genus.

Named Berberis myriovula, the species stands out with an unprecedented 17 ovules in a single ovary, the highest number ever recorded among the 400-500 known Berberis species worldwide.

The discovery was made during an ongoing floristic survey by research scholar Bipankar Hajong and scientist Dr. Pankaj Bharali from CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, along with Dr. Julian Harber, a scientist from the UK.

"This biodiversity-rich Eastern Himalaya has emerged ...