Researchers have described Disporum kamakhasiense, a new flowering plant found in forests of Assam and Meghalaya. The findings were published on 4 and 5 November 2026 in the botanical journal Novon.
Plant features and locations
The plant grows 120–180 cm tall and has branched stems, broad yellowish-green leaves with prominent veins, and delicate white, star-shaped flowers. It was recorded at Garbhanga Reserve Forest in Assam’s Kamrup district, Laisong in Dima Hasao district, and the Barapani area of Meghalaya. Its name combines Kamrupa, an ancient name for Assam, and the Khasi Hills.
Habitat and conservation concerns
Field teams first encountered the species during explorations in June and July 2025. It grows on cliffs beneath bamboo forests at elevations of 200–1,100 metres. The research team included Dixit Bora, Biswajit Paul and Devanjal Bora of the Central Ayurveda Research Institute in Guwahati, Aaron Floden of the Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium, and Dipankar Borah of Kaliabor College. The paper, titled “A New Lowland Species of Disporum (Colchicaceae) from Northeast India”, describes the species as potentially endangered because its populations are small and limited, and face threats from road expansion, over-exploitation and deforestation. The researchers called for further conservation studies.
Important Facts for Exams
- Genus distribution: The genus Disporum comprises perennial flowering plants distributed across Asia, from northern India to Japan and south to Indonesia and the Russian Far East.
- North American reclassification: North American species once included in Disporum were separated as Prosartes and placed in Liliaceae, following karyological, chemical and molecular evidence.
- Family placement: Under the APG III system, Colchicaceae is placed in the order Liliales within the monocot clade.
