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New Begonia Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor District
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News18•25-09-2026, 14:15
New Begonia Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor District
- •A new species of Begonia, named Begonia neelamorum, has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district, enhancing the region's floral diversity.
- •Documented by researchers Dipankar Borah, Madhusudhan Khanal, Momang Taram, and Neelam Gap, the findings were published in the international journal Taiwania.
- •The plant was found growing on moist walls along the Keyi River at an elevation of approximately 1,000 meters and is locally known as 'kobiirhopu baabrai'.
- •Begonia neelamorum is named after the Neelam clan of the Nyishi community, acknowledging their assistance during the research expedition.
- •This discovery increases the number of Begonia species recorded in Northeast India to 54, though the new species is currently classified as "Data Deficient" by the IUCN due to limited information.
Key Questions Answered
A new species of Begonia named Begonia neelamorum has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district by a team of researchers. The small, tuberous plant features a single light-green leaf and produces white male and female flowers.
The plant was named Begonia neelamorum after the Neelam clan of the Nyishi community. This naming honors the assistance provided by the clan members during the researchers' expedition in the area.
Begonia neelamorum is currently known only from a limited area of approximately three square kilometres in the Keyi Panyor district. Under IUCN criteria, it has been provisionally classified as 'Data Deficient' because available information is inadequate for a full assessment.
