Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) researchers discover new sunflower species Doronicum Sanctum in Arunachal Pradesh

Key facts

• Researchers from the Palampur-based Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) discovered a new species of the sunflower family named Doronicum Sanctum in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh.
• The species, commonly referred to as Leopard's Bane, was found at an altitude of approximately 4,000 metres above sea level.
• This is the first documented record of a Doronicum genus member in northeast India, as earlier Indian records were restricted to the western Himalayan region.
• The research was conducted by Rahul Kumar and Vikas Kumar of IHBT's Environmental Technology Division and published by Springer Nature Link.
• Doronicum Sanctum resembles D. conaense and D. stenoglossum but differs in its pubescent ray cypselae, caducous pappus in ray florets, and the shape of phyllaries and ray florets.
• The discovery highlights the unexplored biological wealth of the eastern Himalayas and the urgent need for conservation in this ecologically sensitive zone.