Guwahati: The story of Krishna Chowlu’s discovery of her 20th plant species in Arunachal Pradesh is all about luck.
Krishna Chowlu, a scientist with the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has discovered a new plant species- Cyrtandromoea sudhansui during a regular floristic survey in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, which is located in the Eastern Himalayas.
“ It all happened when we decided to go on a sightseeing tour to Tawang and Bomdila side after two new scientists joined us at Itanagar. It was during August, and during that tour, I collected a Ceropegia species but due to the unavailability of dissecting tools couldn’t work on it. After returning to Itanagar we found something interesting so I thought of taking a personal tour again. This time my husband and my child accompanied me but unfortunately I couldn’t find the species as people had cleared the forest for the cultivation of vegetables,” Chowlu recollecting the journey told EastMojo.
“I went back to the area once again and this time I collected a flower at Munna Camp which is on the way from Dirang to Phadam village in West Kameng district which needed closer examination,” she said.
“It was raining too heavily but due to the grace of God and my efforts, I got this species. The plant species was on a very stiff hill and climbing was difficult. My husband helped me in getting a plant,” she added.
“On examination, I found that the flower which is a new member of Cyrtandromoea has a blue corolla, whereas in all the other members of the genus with this character documented corolla is white,” she said.
The genus Cyrtandromoea is native mainly to Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam) and in India, it is only found in Nicobar Islands. In India, the genus is currently known by a single species, C. nicobarica endemic to the Nicobar Islands. This discovery is the second species of the genus known in the flora of India, and also a new generic record for the state of Arunachal Pradesh and for mainland India in general.
Cyrtandromoea sudhansui occurs on the southern slopes of hills, in evergreen broadleaved forests, at an elevation of 1590 metres at sea level. The study has been published in Phytotaxa journal and the co-authors are Dr Akshath Shenoy and Dr Maxim S Nuraliev.
Krishna Chowlu named the species after Dr. Sudhansu Sekhar Dash, Scientist and Technical Head, Botanical Survey of India(BSI) who has immensely worked on floristic diversity and ecology in the Eastern Himalayas.
“To have a species named after oneself is a humbling experience. I have been in this field for the past 30 years, worked across the spectrum with so many wonderful people, learnt a lot, and empowered myself in the process. This honour, I accept with immense humility with a vow to keep exploring, contributing and upholding the values and the legacy of the Botanical Survey of India,” Dr Sudhansu Sekhar Dash Scientist and Technical Head, Botanical Survey of India told EastMojo.
The new species is assessed as Data Deficient according to the IUCN Red List criteria. The new discovery represents the second species of the genus known in the flora of India and a new generic record for the state of Arunachal Pradesh and for mainland India in general.
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