A rare wild blueberry relative known as Vaccinium piliferum has been rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh after nearly 188 years, drawing major scientific attention toward the biodiversity richness of the Eastern Himalayas.

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• Scientists rediscovered the rare plant species Vaccinium piliferum in Vijoynagar forests of Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh after 188 years.
• The species is considered a wild relative of blueberry plants and belongs to the Vaccinium genus under the Ericaceae family.
• The plant was first collected in 1836 from the Mishmi Hills by botanist William Griffith.
• The species was later recorded again in 1850 from Meghalaya’s Khasi Hills by Joseph Dalton Hooker and T. Thomson.
• No confirmed scientific record of the species existed for nearly 188 years before its rediscovery in 2026.
• Researchers from the Society for Education and Environmental Development and the CSIR–North East Institute of Science and Technology conducted the field surveys.
• The rare climbing shrub was discovered near tributaries of the Noa-Dihing river at elevations between 1,150 metres and 1,280 metres.
• Scientists documented only 16 individual plants within an area of nearly 2 square kilometres.
• The species is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to its extremely limited population.
• The rediscovery research paper was officially published in Feddes Repertorium on 18 May 2026.
• Arunachal Pradesh is considered part of the globally important Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot.