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ITANAGAR: In a remarkable scientific breakthrough, researchers have rediscovered Vaccinium piliferum, a rare and endangered wild relative of the blueberry, in the remote forests of Vijoynagar in Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district, nearly 188 years after it was first documented in 1836.
The rediscovery of the elusive plant species in the Eastern Himalayan landscape has been hailed as a major botanical achievement and a significant addition to India's biodiversity records, reaffirming Arunachal Pradesh's position as one of the world's richest ecological hotspots.
According to researchers, Vaccinium piliferum belongs to the Ericaceae family, which includes economically and nutritionally important berries such as blueberries and cranberries.
The discovery was made recently by researchers from the Society for Education and Environmental Development, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, and collaborating institutions.
The species was originally recorded during the colonial era in 1836 but had remained untraced for generations, leading many botanists to believe it had possibly disappeared from its natural habitat.
The rare species was rediscovered near tributaries of the Noa-Dihing River in the dense forested region of Vijoynagar, an ecologically sensitive area known for its rich and largely unexplored biodiversity.
Scientists involved in the study reported that they recorded only 16 individual plants of the species during the field survey, underlining its critically fragile population status.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has already listed Vaccinium piliferum as an "Endangered" species, making the latest discovery highly significant from both conservation and scientific perspectives.
Experts said the rediscovery not only revives global scientific interest in the species but also highlights the ecological importance of Arunachal Pradesh's Eastern Himalayan ecosystem, which supports a vast range of rare flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. Botanists in the state observed that wild relatives of cultivated berry species are considered genetically important for future research related to climate resilience, disease resistance and crop improvement.
State Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Tuesday described the rediscovery as "a remarkable chapter in the natural history of Arunachal Pradesh" and said it reaffirmed the Eastern Himalaya's status as one of the world's richest biodiversity hotspots.
"This finding highlights the immense ecological wealth of our state and reinforces the urgent need to protect and preserve our fragile Himalayan ecosystems for future generations," he said in a post on X. Mein also expressed appreciation to researchers from SEED, NEIST and collaborating institutions for their contribution to the historic rediscovery.
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