Five flowering plants newly recorded in Manipur

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Five flowering plants newly recorded in Manipur :: Picture Courtesy - The People's Chronicle

A recent botanical study has identified five flowering plant species as new records for Manipur. The findings, published in the September 2024 edition of Plant Science Today, highlighted the discovery of

o Amorphophallus napalensis (Wall) Bogner & Mayo and
o Arisaema nephanthoides (Wall) Mart (Araceae),
o Impatiens pulchra Hook f & Thomson (Balsaminaceae),
o Lonicera acuminata Wall (Caprifoliaceae), and
o Silene baccifera (L) Durande (Caryophyllaceae) .

Notably, the genus Silene (common names Campion and Catchfly) has been recorded for the first time in the state.

The research was conducted by Kazhuhrii Eshuo, Sochanngam Kashung, and Kholi Kaini of Department of Botany, Dhanamanjuri University, Imphal. The team carried out extensive field surveys between 2020 and 2023 across different seasons and locations, focusing on Mao area of Senapati district.

This region, known for its high-altitudinal gradient and montane forests, is recognised as a micro-endemic hotspot. It lies between 25°28' to 25°31' N latitude and 94°6' to 94°8' E longitude, with elevations ranging from 1550 to 2994 metres above sea level.

The vegetation is predominantly subtropical deciduous mixed forest, where species diversity decreases with increasing altitude.

The study documented Amorphophallus napalensis, a tuberous herb with depressed globose (spherical) brown tubers and a robust spathe with a black-spotted stem. The species flowers without leaves, which appear afterward. It was recorded at elevations of 1000-1800 metres in Pudunamei village. The Mao community traditionally collects this plant for pig fodder.

Arisaema nepenthoides, another member of the Araceae family, was found at elevations of 2600-2800 metres in Koziirii. This dioecious herb has a yellowish brown spathe with brown spots, and its pseudostem is formed by a petiole that can grow up to 90 cm long. Like Amorphophallus napalensis, it is also used as pig fodder by the local Mao people.

The balsam species Impatiens pulchra was recorded at elevations of 1600-1800 metres in Pudunamei-Mao. This perennial herb, which can grow up to 80 cm in height, produces striking orange-red or yellowish-red flowers with a coiled spur at the tip. The boiled extract of its leaves is used by the Mao tribe to treat gastritis, and the plant is also consumed as a vegetable and used as fodder for pigs.

Another newly recorded species, Lonicera acuminata, was found in the mixed subtropical deciduous forests of Pudunamei village at 1600-1800 metres elevation. This perennial shrub or vine-like plant has a dark brown-ish-red, pubescent stem, and its flowers turn from white to yellow or orange-yellow as they mature.

The species had not been previously documented in Manipur, though it has been reported in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, and Nagaland.

The most significant discovery of the study was Silene baccifera, as its identification marks the first record of the genus Silene in Manipur. This perennial herb, which grows in open forests at elevations of 1600-1800 metres, has branched, spreading stems and produces white flowers with bifid limbs. The fruit is black and globose, dehiscing irregularly when mature.

The collected specimens were dried, pressed, and prepared as herbarium specimens using conventional herbarium techniques. They were photographed and deposited at the Herbarium, Department of Botany, DM College of Science, Imphal for future reference.

The researchers emphasised the ecological significance of these discoveries and the need for continued botanical exploration in Manipur to document its rich floral diversity.