Guwahati, Oct. 17 -- A plant described more than 200 years ago but largely overlooked in Indian botanical literature has been rediscovered in Assam, with researchers from Gauhati University confirming its identity and resolving a long-standing taxonomic confusion.

The flowering shrub, Ardisia colorata G. Lodd., was found in the Abhaypuri area of Bongaigaon district, marking its first confirmed recollection from India in about 204 years, according to a study published in the botanical journal Feddes Repertorium.

The discovery emerged from botanical surveys conducted across Assam between 2020 and 2025. Researchers initially suspected the specimen was Ardisia solanacea, a related species, but a closer examination of its flowers, leaves and...