Why in News?
Dillenia nagalim is a newly identified plant species discovered in the Kamjong district of Manipur, India. It was formally described by scientists, On 15 April 2026.
About
- Scientific Discovery: A research team from Dhanamanjuri University, Manipur, identified it during surveys conducted between 2024 and 2025.
- Cultural Significance: The name "nagalim" honours the indigenous Naga communities and their ancestral land ("lim" meaning land).
- Urgent Conservation: It has been provisionally classified as Critically Endangered (CR) because it is currently known from only a single remote location in Choro village.
Botanical Profile
- Growth Habit: It is a small perennial shrub, typically reaching heights of 0.6 to 1.2 metres (2–4 feet).
- Flowers: It produces large, showy bright yellow flowers (6–8 cm across) with approximately 270 stamens.
- Leaves: Distinctive double-serrated margins with an acuminate (tapering) tip and short petioles.
- Scientific Differentiators: Unlike its close relatives (D. pentagyna and D. hookeri), it is much shorter and has a higher number of stamens and carpels (usually 7–8).
Habitat & Ecology
- Location: Found in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot near the Indo-Myanmar border.
- Elevation: It thrives in open tropical deciduous forests at altitudes of 250–350 metres.
- Seasonality: The plant typically flowers between May and June.
Local Use & Ethnobotany
- Culinary Use: The local Tangkhul Naga community is well-acquainted with the plant; they consume its tender leaves as a vegetable.
- Edible Fruit: The fruits are edible and described as having a sweet and pungent flavour, similar to a golden berry.
Conservation & Threats
- Endemic Status: It is a "narrow endemic" species, meaning it is restricted to a very small geographic area.
- Primary Threats: Face immediate risks from habitat conversion, infrastructure development, and intense human activities in the region.
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