Agartala: In a significant botanical discovery, a team of researchers has officially recorded Mycetia malayana, a rare plant species once thought to exist only in Malaya, Borneo, and Thailand, in India for the very first time. The groundbreaking finding was made near the scenic Kachari Waterfall in Tripura’s North District, marking a monumental addition to the country’s known flora.
The discovery was spearheaded by a collaborative team of botanists: Dixit Bora from the Department of Botany, Tripura University; Dipankar Borah of Kaliabor College, Assam; and Professor Badal Kumar Datta, also from Tripura University. The researchers were conducting a field study in the Kanchanpur sub-division when they encountered two distinct Mycetia species. While one was quickly identified as Mycetia longiflora, the other was an unfamiliar specimen that, following a detailed taxonomic study, was confirmed to be the elusive M. malayana.
The find adds a ninth species of Mycetia to India’s botanical records, a fact highlighted by Bora. “Until now, eight species of Mycetia were known from India. This study adds a ninth species to the country’s flora and marks the first-ever record from the Department of Botany, Tripura University,” he said. Bora also noted that the plant had recently been found in Bangladesh, making the Tripura finding a crucial extension of the species’ known range.
Bora described the discovery as the result of years of dedicated exploration across Tripura. “In the last five years, we have travelled extensively, interacting with locals and observing plant species — many of them new to us. But finding something that is a first for the country is a dream come true,” he shared. The team’s perseverance was tested by poor connectivity, which caused several failed attempts to reach the area. They finally made it to the Kachari Waterfall on May 26, 2025, where they spotted the two Mycetia species growing on opposite sides of the cascade.
The discovery of M. malayana is being celebrated as a major milestone for Indian botanical research, especially since the genus Mycetia is not widespread in the country. It also highlights the rich and often untapped biodiversity of Tripura’s less-explored landscapes.
Read More: President’s Medal Honours Assam’s Top Cop for Stellar Service