In a major breakthrough for Indian botany, a rare and endangered wild relative of the blueberry has been rediscovered in the remote forests of Arunachal Pradesh, nearly two centuries after its last recorded sighting.
Vaccinium piliferum, a unique plant species belonging to the Ericaceae family—which includes commercial blueberries and cranberries—was found by a dedicated team of researchers in the Vijaynagar area of the Changlang district. The plant was originally documented during the colonial period in 1836. Having eluded scientists and locals alike for generations, many in the botanical community feared the species had gone extinct in the wild.
The historic rediscovery was made possible through a collaborative effort involving researchers from the Society for Education and Environmental Development and the North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST). Experts are hailing the find as a significant achievement that underscores the rich, yet largely unexplored, biodiversity of the Eastern Himalayan region.
Botanists emphasize that finding this wild relative is not just a victory for conservation archives, but it could also hold vital genetic clues for future agricultural resilience. For now, the successful tracking of Vaccinium piliferum serves as a powerful reminder of the ecological treasures hidden within India’s northeastern frontiers, prompting calls for stricter environmental protection in the region.
