Researchers have described a new species of pink-flowered plant from Manas National Park in the Indian state of Assam. Named Osbeckia assamensis, it was identified by the botanists Barnali Das and Namita Nath, whose paper was published in the international plant journal Phytotaxa on 22 October 2026, Ei Samay reports.
The researchers describe it as a bushy shrub, usually 2 to 2.5 metres tall. Its most striking feature is its bright pink flowers, each about 3 to 3.5 centimetres across, which open in clusters of 30 to 35.
It does not flower all year. Flowers and fruit appear from September to February, from the end of the monsoon through the winter. The plant was found in the park's grasslands.
The area was surveyed several times between 2021 and 2025. The first specimen was collected on 8 October 2022, and another was recorded in October 2025.
At first the plant was confused with Osbeckia nayarii, a species with similar features. Its stem, leaf structure, flower arrangement, the outer parts of the flower and its seeds then set it apart as a separate species, so the identification rests on several characters rather than on flower colour alone.
The species has been placed in the IUCN's Data Deficient category for now, meaning there is not yet enough information to say whether it is at risk of extinction. The find adds to the record of plant diversity in Manas, a UNESCO-listed site, and may help future conservation planning. The report was written by Prasmita De.
Photo: Manas National Park, Assam, Kangkansahariaassam / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Source: Ei Samay
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