Nagaland University Researchers Discover New Plant Species Hoya nagaensis in Phek District

Key facts

• Researchers from Nagaland University (NU) have discovered a new plant species named Hoya nagaensis in the Phek district of Nagaland.
• The species was identified in the Kavünhou Community Reserved Forest, a high-altitude community-protected area in the Eastern Himalaya.
• The research team was led by Principal Investigator Gyati Yam from the Department of Forestry at NU, alongside researchers Vieneite-o Koza and Joynath Pegu.
• The findings regarding the new species were published in the Kew Bulletin, a peer-reviewed international journal for plant and fungal taxonomy.
• Hoya nagaensis has been provisionally assessed as critically endangered due to its restricted distribution and threats from shifting cultivation and forest disturbance.
• The discovery highlights the effectiveness of traditional forest stewardship practiced by local Naga communities in conserving biodiversity.