Guwahati: Botanists from Gauhati University have rediscovered Ardisia colorata, a flowering shrub missing from Indian records for 204 years. Researchers Manash Baruah and Nilakshee Devi confirmed the plant's identity in the Abhaypuri area of Bongaigaon district after years of survey work. The find ends a long-standing taxonomic mystery regarding the species, which British horticulturist George Loddiges first described in 1821.
The team initially misidentified the shrub as Ardisia solanacea. A closer look at the flowers and leaves proved the true identity. The plant had been ignored in botanical literature and was notably absent from the Index Kewensis. The researchers used original descriptions and historical illustrations to clear up confusion with other species, specifically A. sanguinolenta.
The discovery is small. Only 12 plants exist at the Abhaypuri site, located in the eastern Himalayan foothills at 211 metres of elevation. These evergreen shrubs grow between 0.5 and two metres tall, featuring glossy leaves and flowers that bloom from April to June. The team deposited a specimen collected on May 6, 2025, into the university herbarium.
Conservationists face a challenge here. The plant remains classified as Data Deficient because researchers lack sufficient information to gauge extinction risk. The study, published in the journal Feddes Repertorium, highlights how historical records clarify modern field findings. The authors state that the work establishes the correct identity of the plant and provides a more precise description to help botanists "recognise it in the field."
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