Guwahati: A new species of poppy plant has been discovered in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh, adding to the botanical wealth of the Eastern Himalaya. The species, Corydalis shiyomiensis, may look delicate with its creamy-white flowers tipped in yellow, but scientists warn it is already at risk of extinction.
The discovery was made in April 2025 during fieldwork in Shi Yomi district by Madhusudhan Khanal, along with a team of researchers from Sikkim University, the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Rajiv Gandhi University, the Botanical Survey of India, and Uppsala University in Sweden. The findings have been published in the latest issue of the journal Phytotaxa.
Belonging to the Papaveraceae family—the same family as the opium poppy—Corydalis shiyomiensis stands out for its unique floral traits. It produces just one or two blossoms per raceme, unlike its close relatives, which bear clusters of up to nine. The flowers, creamy white with yellowish tips, and its distinct leaf structure make it different from similar species like Corydalis petrophila and Corydalis leptocarpa.
The species has been named after Shi Yomi district, its type locality. During field surveys, only 12 flowering individuals were found growing along a roadside near Tato village at an altitude of 1,512 metres. Researchers fear this narrow distribution makes the plant extremely vulnerable.
“Discoveries like Corydalis shiyomiensis remind us how much remains hidden in the Himalaya. But the fact that it is already threatened highlights the fragile balance of these ecosystems,” the authors note.
Arunachal Pradesh, often described as India’s “last green frontier,” has become a hotspot for botanical discoveries. The Eastern Himalaya, where it is located, is globally recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, harbouring a large share of the world’s plant diversity. In recent years, several new Corydalis species have been described from India, including Corydalis adhikarii from Arunachal, Corydalis amarnathiana from Kashmir, and Corydalis kedarensis from Uttarakhand.
But these discoveries also carry an urgent message. The habitats that yield such treasures are increasingly under pressure from development projects, land-use change, and climate stress. Species that are restricted to small ecological niches, like Corydalis shiyomiensis, are the first to be pushed to the brink.
For now, the tiny poppy plant of Shi Yomi stands as both a scientific breakthrough and a conservation challenge. Its discovery is a testament to the unexplored richness of Arunachal Pradesh, but also a reminder that without timely protection, such rare species may vanish as quickly as they are found.
Also Read: How diplomatic tensions hit Northern Bengal tourism and medical services