Heptapleurum assamicum

Heptapleurum assamicum Latest News

Scientists have recently identified a new plant species in Assam’s Dima Hasao and West Karbi Anglong districts — a lush, evergreen shrub now named Heptapleurum assamicum.

About Heptapleurum assamicum

• It is a new plant species.
• A lush, evergreen shrub, Heptapleurum assamicum was discovered in Assam’s Dima Hasao and West Karbi Anglong districts.
• It belongs to the family Araliaceae, which also includes the familiar ornamental “umbrella plant” (H. arboricola).
• However, this wild Assamese relative carries several distinctive traits: 
  • Its leaflets are narrow and lance-shaped, never more than 1.2 cm wide.
  • Its flowers are a striking purple rather than the greenish-yellow of its ornamental cousin.
  • Its compact inflorescences bear up to 15 flowers per umbel. 
  • The fruit, when ripe, turns a deep reddish-purple and is speckled with orange-red glands — an unusual feature even within the genus.
• The plant flowers between January and March, with fruits ripening by May. 
• Its current known population is tiny and highly localised, making it potentially vulnerable to environmental changes.
• For now, it has been categorised as “Data Deficient” under IUCN criteria.

Source: EM

‹ ›