A team of botanists from Dhanamanjuri University has officially described a new plant species, Dillenia nagalim, discovered in the remote Choro village of Manipur’s Kamjong district. Found during extensive botanical surveys conducted between May 2024 and May 2025, the species is located within a single site along the Indo-Myanmar border. This newly identified shrub, which stands between 0.6 and 1.2 metres tall, thrives in open tropical deciduous forests at elevations of 250 to 350 metres, sharing its habitat with prominent timber species such as Dipterocarpus tuberculatus and Tectona grandis.
While new to the scientific community, the plant has long been known to local Tangkhul Naga residents, who integrate the species into their traditional diet. The community utilizes the tender leaves as a vegetable and consumes the fruits, which are noted for a distinct sweet and pungent aroma reminiscent of golden berries. Scientifically, Dillenia nagalim is characterized by its short growth habit, amplexicaul petioles, and doubly serrate leaves with acuminate tips. Its striking yellow flowers measure between 6 and 8 cm in diameter, containing approximately 270 stamens and 7 to 8 carpels.
The formal description of the species was published by Magnolia Press in the journal Phytotaxa (Volume 751, Issue 2) on April 15, 2026, following its acceptance earlier that month. The research team, led by Sochanngam Kashung and corresponding author Kazhuhr ii Eshuo, utilized molecular analysis of the rbcL gene to confirm the plant’s unique identity. While the analysis shows the species is closely related to D. pentagyna and D. hookeri, it remains genetically distinct. The published study includes detailed morphological descriptions, color photographs, an artificial key to Indian Dillenia species, and a phylogenetic tree.
Despite the significance of the find, the outlook for Dillenia nagalim is precarious. Based on the fact that it is known only from its type specimen at a single location, researchers have assessed the species as Critically Endangered according to IUCN criteria. The authors of the study highlight that the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot is under intense anthropogenic pressure from habitat conversion and developmental activities. Consequently, the team is calling for immediate conservation interventions to protect this narrow endemic species, emphasizing that such discoveries highlight both the immense botanical richness of Northeast India and the extreme fragility of its remaining undisturbed forests.
