Discovery of Ophiopogon Japonicus Plant in India

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Key takeaways

Researchers recorded Ophiopogon japonicus for the first time in India at an elevation of 2,185 metres in Arunachal Pradesh.
Commonly known as dwarf lilyturf, this herb belongs to the Asparagaceae family and expands India's documented count beyond the previous 7 species.
Native to East Asia at altitudes between 200 and 2,800 metres, its roots called Ophiopogonis Radix are used in traditional medicine.
The newly identified plant group faces survival threats from local road construction and landslides in the Eastern Himalaya.

Scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India and the Uluberia Botanical Institute Herbarium recorded Ophiopogon japonicus for the first time in India.
They found the plant on a moist forest floor near a temperate broadleaf forest at an elevation of 2,185 metres in West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh.

Commonly known as dwarf lilyturf or mondo grass, Ophiopogon japonicus is an evergreen perennial herb that grows in dense clusters.
The plant features narrow grass-like leaves, small white to light-purple flowers, and bright blue fruits resembling berries.

The plant belongs to the Asparagaceae family of flowering plants.
The genus Ophiopogon includes around 85 species globally, with 7 species previously documented in India.

This species is native to East Asia and grows naturally in China, Japan, Korea, and Nepal.
It generally grows at altitudes ranging between 200 and 2,800 metres above sea level.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses its tuberous roots, known locally as Ophiopogonis Radix or Maidong.
Medical studies report that the plant has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties.

Because this newly recorded population lives near a roadside, human development activities pose direct risks to its survival.
The primary threats include road construction projects, landslides, and general habitat disturbance.

This discovery adds a brand new plant species to the official botanical diversity of India.
It extends the known geographical range of the species into the Eastern Himalaya, a region rich in plant life but still scientifically under-explored.