Ophiopogon japonicus First Recorded in India: Arunachal Find
Why in the news
A plant long valued in East Asian healthcare turned up in the Eastern Himalaya, a new species record for India.
Key facts
- Find: West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh, at 2,185 m.
- Researchers: Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and the Uluberia Botanical Institute Herbarium, West Bengal.
About the species
- Family Asparagaceae, order Asparagales; an evergreen, rhizomatous perennial with grass-like leaves.
- Native to China, Japan, Korea, Nepal and Vietnam; also grown worldwide as ground cover.
Exam angle
- Place of first Indian record: West Kameng.
- Medicinal part: tuberous roots.