New Melastomataceae Species, Osbeckia assamensis, Discovered in Manas National Park

Exam-focused facts from the 27 October 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

A new species of the plant family Melastomataceae, Osbeckia assamensis, was documented by researchers in Manas National Park, Assam.
The new species is morphologically allied to Osbeckia nayarii GS Giri but differs in features such as branching pattern, strigose stem, and inflorescence structure.
The discovery was made by Prof Namita Nath from Gauhati University and Barnali Das, assistant professor from Pragjyotish College.
The detailed taxonomic description of Osbeckia assamensis was published in the peer-reviewed international journal Phytotaxa.
The genus Osbeckia Linnaeus is distributed mostly in the southeastern part of the Asian continent and currently includes 45 accepted species and six varieties.