A CORRESPONDENT
AZARA: A new species of flowering plant with potential medicinal significance has been discovered in Assam by a faculty member of Girijananda Chowdhury University (GCU) in collaboration with a Guwahati-based botanist.
Dr Birina Bhuyan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany at GCU's Azara campus, and botanist Dr Selim Mehmud have identified the new species, named Ophiorrhiza assamensis. The discovery has been formally published in the international taxonomic journal Phytotaxa.
The species was found growing in a moist and shady habitat near Satargaon Road in Kamrup Metropolitan district. It is a small perennial herb characterised by large, ribbed leaves and dense clusters of small white flowers.
The discovery is significant from a botanical and pharmacological perspective. Ophiorrhiza assamensis belongs to the Rubiaceae family, commonly known as the coffee family. Several species of the genus Ophiorrhiza are known to contain camptothecin, a naturally occurring compound that has been used in the development of anti-cancer drugs, particularly for the treatment of colorectal and other cancers.
However, the newly discovered species is already facing potential threats to its survival. The researchers said that the plant is currently known only from a highly localised population, making it vulnerable to habitat loss caused by deforestation and rapid development in the area.
Dr Bhuyan and Dr Mehmud have stressed the need for immediate conservation measures to protect the species and its habitat. They have recommended that the species be provisionally assessed as 'Data Deficient' under the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), pending further studies on its distribution and population status.
The discovery highlights the rich and still underexplored plant diversity of Assam and the importance of conserving natural habitats that may harbour species of ecological and potential medicinal value.
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