A rare wild blueberry species Vaccinium
piliferum has been rediscovered after 188 years in the forests of Vijaynagar in
Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh
¨
A rare wild blueberry
species Vaccinium piliferum has been rediscovered after 188 years in the
forests of Vijaynagar in Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh.
¨
The species was first
collected in 1836 from the Mishmi Hills.
¨
It was later recorded
again in 1850 from the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya.
¨
After this, there was no
confirmed record of the species for nearly 188 years.
¨
The plant belongs to the
genus Vaccinium and the family Ericaceae.
¨
It is a trailing shrub
and is considered a wild relative of blueberries known for edible fruits and
wide distribution in temperate and mountainous regions.
¨
The first collection was
made by William Griffith in 1836 from the Mishmi Hills.
¨
It was later re-recorded
by Joseph Dalton Hooker and T. Thomson in 1850 from the Khasi Hills.
¨
The rediscovery in 2026
fills a long gap in its documented scientific record.
¨
The finding was made
during field surveys conducted by researchers from the CSIR-North East
Institute of Science and Technology and the Society for Education and
Environmental Development, along with partner institutions.
¨ The plant was found along tributaries of the Noa-Dihing River.
¨ It grows at elevations between 1,150 and 1,280 metres above sea level in montane forest habitats.
