Researchers have discovered a new flowering plant species named Osbeckia assamensis in the grasslands of Manas National Park. The discovery was made by Barnali Das and Professor Namita Nath from Gauhati University. The findings were published in the journal Phytotaxa on October 22, 2026, after field surveys conducted from 2021 to 2025.
The plant belongs to the Melastomataceae family and is a perennial shrub standing two to two and a half meters tall. It has pink flowers measuring three to three and a half centimeters in length with large opposite leaves and an unbranched stem. Its flowering and fruiting period runs from September to February.
Manas National Park serves as the type locality for this new species. Researchers have classified Osbeckia assamensis as Data Deficient under the International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria because it is currently known only from this specific location.
