Environment News

Two New Ophiorrhiza Species

October 28 , 2026 15 hrs 0 min 30 0

Researchers identified two new plant species, Ophiorrhiza shidiensis and Ophiorrhiza pemae, in Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh.
Both species belong to the Rubiaceae family, also called the coffee, madder or bedstraw family.
They were found in Vijoynagar within the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.
O. shidiensis is named after “Shidi”, the Lisu (Yobin) name for Gandhigram.
O. pemae honours Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu.