India, Jan. 25 -- Scientists have discovered a new species of flowering plant in Arunachal Pradesh, with only 25 mature individuals recorded so far, highlighting both the eastern Himalaya's hidden biodiversity and its growing conservation risks.

The species, named Strobilanthes riteshii, was discovered during botanical surveys near Chayangtajo village in East Kameng district, at an elevation of around 1,600 metres. The research was led by Krishna Chowlu, Akshath Shenoy, Geetika Sukhramani, Ajit Ray and Althaf Ahamed Kabeer from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, and has been published in the Indian Journal of Forestry.

The plant has been named in honour of Dr Ritesh Kumar Choudhary, a noted plant ...