Guwahati: A seemingly ordinary grass growing in cracks and debris among rocks along the Kopili river in Assam’s Karbi Anglong has turned out to be a significant botanical find, with researchers recording the species in India for the first time.
Researchers from the CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Jorhat, identified the grass as Eremochloa bimaculata Hack. during floristic surveys in Karbi Anglong between 2023 and 2025. Their findings have been published in the National Academy Science Letters.
The researchers, Dr Debolina Dey and Dr Mohan Lal, said the finding represents a new record for India, not a species new to science. E. bimaculata was described in 1889 and has previously been reported from Cambodia, south-central China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, New Guinea and parts of Australia. The Karbi Anglong record now extends its known distribution to India.
The species belongs to the genus Eremochloa, a group of grasses distributed from India to Australia and northwards through Indochina to Korea. Some species in the genus are used in turf and have been associated with soil and environmental protection.
What makes the discovery particularly notable is the specialised habitat in which the grass was found. Researchers encountered E. bimaculata growing in rock crevices and rock debris along the Kopili riverside, a habitat described in the study as chasmophytic and riparian. The species was recorded at an elevation of about 92 metres above sea level.
Identifying the grass required more than a comparison of its appearance with known species. The researchers carried out detailed morphological studies and compared their specimens with existing taxonomic literature, herbarium material and digital type specimens.
The species closely resembles Eremochloa zeylanica, but the researchers distinguished it on the basis of several morphological characteristics, including the shorter setae on the lower glume.
The finding may also have ecological significance. The study notes that several Eremochloa species can contribute to soil-erosion control, particularly in areas exposed to heavy rainfall. E. bimaculata is also described as tolerant of acidic, drought-prone and low-fertility soils, suggesting potential applications in restoring vegetation on degraded landscapes.
However, the study does not assess the conservation status of E. bimaculata in India. Researchers recorded around 55 individuals at the collection site, but it remains unclear how widely the species occurs elsewhere in the country.
Voucher specimens have been deposited in the herbarium facilities of the Botanical Survey of India in Shillong and Itanagar, providing a permanent scientific record of the species’ occurrence in India.
The discovery adds to the growing botanical record from Northeast India, where surveys of specialised and relatively poorly explored habitats continue to reveal species that had previously gone undocumented in the country.
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