Stauranthera aureoglossa:
A team of botanists recently discovered a new plant species with a unique ‘golden tongue’ in the shaded streams of the Himalayas, named Stauranthera aureoglossa.
- It is a new plant species.
- It was discovered in the dense, mid-elevation evergreen forests of the Kamle and Upper Subansiri districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
- It is a perennial herb clinging to damp rocks and soil right besides flowing streams and rivulets.
- The plant stands out from its closest relatives with a distinct, bell-shaped, bluish-purple flower.
- Unlike similar species, its flower lacks a tubular projection called a spur at its base.
- Instead, it features a raised, bumpy, yellow patch inside the lower lip of its petals.
- This striking feature inspired its new scientific name, with “aureoglossa” translating to the golden-yellow, tongue-like appendage seen on the flower.
- It has diamond- or spear-shaped leaves.
- Because their fragile streamside habitats are being actively damaged by logging, landslides, and road-widening projects, the scientists have provisionally classified this rare, golden-tongued herb as an endangered species.
