New Flowering Plant Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

A new flowering plant species, Strobilanthes riteshii, has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Kameng district, highlighting the region’s rich biodiversity. Found at around 1,600 metres elevation, the species grows along forested slopes and near streams and waterfalls. Named after botanist Dr Ritesh Kumar Choudhary, the plant belongs to the Acanthaceae family. The discovery reinforces the importance of floristic surveys in the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and has been provisionally classified as Data Deficient under IUCN criteria.