Scholars from Annamalai University have announced the discovery of a new plant species in the southern stretches of the Eastern Ghats, a significant finding that underscores the region’s rich botanical diversity. The discovery, reported by The Chenab Times, adds to a growing list of new flora identified in this ecologically vital mountain range in recent years.
The Eastern Ghats, a discontinuous chain of mountains running along India’s eastern coast, have long been recognized as a hotspot for biodiversity. Recent expeditions and studies have continued to reveal species previously unknown to science. In November 2024, botanists from the Botanical Survey of India identified Dicliptera srisailamica in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, straddling Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This discovery highlighted the genus’s tropical and subtropical presence worldwide, with India being home to 29 taxa of Dicliptera, eight of which are endemic.
Further exploration in Andhra Pradesh has yielded more botanical treasures. In late 2024, the species Crinum andhricum was discovered in the dry, rocky forests of the Sapparla hills in the Alluri Sitarama Raju district. This flowering plant, part of the Amaryllidaceae family, exhibits unique characteristics, including waxy white flowers and a significant number of flowers per cluster, distinguishing it from related species. It was found growing in dry, rocky crevices and faces threats from human activities and forest fires.
More recently, in May 2026, scientists identified three critically endangered plant species in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh: Euphorbia ananthapuramensis, Euphorbia chalamensis, and Ceropegia andhrica. These discoveries, made after extensive field surveys, underscore the vulnerability of rare flora. Euphorbia ananthapuramensis, found in the Sri Sathya Sai district, is a shrubby plant used by local tribal communities for medicinal purposes but threatened by granite mining and forest fires. Similarly, Euphorbia chalamensis, identified in the Nandyal district, and Ceropegia andhrica, found in the Alluri Sitharamaraju district, are small herbs with medicinal properties or edible tubers, respectively, and face significant threats from habitat loss and human activities.
The specific plant species discovered by the Annamalai University scholars has been tentatively identified as Cyphostemma annamalaii, noted for its unique medicinal properties. This discovery is particularly significant as it highlights the contributions of academic institutions in biodiversity research. Cyphostemma annamalaii was found in the southern parts of the Eastern Ghats, a region that continues to be a frontier for botanical exploration. The Eastern Ghats, encompassing parts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, are characterized by diverse forest types and a humid tropical monsoon climate, creating a conducive environment for a wide array of plant life, including many endemic species.
The ongoing discoveries in the Eastern Ghats emphasize the urgent need for conservation efforts. Many of these newly identified species have limited geographical distributions and are already classified as critically endangered under the IUCN Red List criteria. Threats such as habitat destruction, deforestation, overexploitation, grazing, and climate change pose significant risks to these unique plant populations. The research conducted by institutions like the Botanical Survey of India and universities such as Annamalai University is crucial for documenting India’s rich floral heritage and informing conservation strategies to protect these invaluable natural resources for future generations.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
