What is Begonia Narahari?

About Begonia Narahari

• It is a newly discovered species of flowering plant in the Begonia genus from the Begoniaceae family.
• The species, named naraharii, pays tribute to former CSIR-Northeast Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) director Prof. Garikapati Narahari Sastry in recognition of his significant contributions to establishing the Germplasm Conservation Centre for the Bioresources of Northeast and his commitment to the well-being of the northeastern region.
• Begonia Narahari stands out for its vivid blue iridescence under direct light, a distinctive feature that aids in its identification alongside comparisons with related species.
• As of now, Begonia naraharii is known only from the Demwe locality in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Due to limited information on its global population, the species is provisionally classified as Data Deficient (DD) following IUCN species assessment guidelines.

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Source: Breakthrough in Botany: New Begonia Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh by USTM and CSIR-NEIST Researchers