The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In a discovery that feels like nature’s own gift to the nation, Bhutan has added 19 flowering plant species to its official botanical records, a remarkable moment that brings fresh pride and wonder to a country already celebrated for its rich biodiversity.
The study, led by Phub Gyeltshen and a team from the National Biodiversity Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, confirms 16 native plants and three exotic species that had quietly flourished unnoticed in Bhutan’s forests until now. It is a reminder that even in a nation famous for conservation, the natural world still holds surprises waiting to be revealed.
The newly documented native species include Biophytum reinwardtii, Breynia macrantha, Bridelia assamica, Burmannia nepalensis, Ceropegia khasiana, Diospyros lanceifolia, Goniothalamus sesquipedalis, Gymnocladus assamicus, Grewia serrulata, Hypericum podocarpoides, Melastoma malabathricum, Ormosia robusta, Peliosanthes maheswariana, Phlogacanthus curviflorus, Sterculia lanceolata, and Vincetoxicum belostemma. Among them are plants once thought to be found only in parts of India, like Ceropegia khasiana, Gymnocladus assamicus, and Peliosanthes maheswariana, now proudly part of Bhutan’s own flora.
The three exotic species, Achimenes longiflora, Ipomoea triloba, and Lippia alba, come originally from Central and South America but have made their home in Bhutan’s warm subtropical regions.
The findings are the fruit of detailed fieldwork carried out between April 2023 and November 2024. The research team travelled across the central and southern parts of the country, gathering about 1,000 specimens. These were dried, preserved, and carefully identified at the THIM herbarium of the National Biodiversity Center in Thimphu. Confirmations came only after thorough comparisons with global herbarium collections and botanical literature.
This isn’t just a technical update to the Flora of Bhutan; it is a moment that rekindles national curiosity about the natural world. For a country that has protected its forests and rivers so passionately, learning that its forests still shelter plants never officially recorded before is deeply meaningful.
Bhutan’s botanical history stretches back to 1838, yet these discoveries show that the country’s forests are still writing new chapters. Most of the newly found species come from subtropical and warm broadleaved forests, habitats that remain some of Bhutan’s richest and most mysterious.
The research team, which also includes Kezang Tobgay, Phuentsho Phuentsho, Karma Sangay, Karma D Dorji, David Long, and Sangay Dema, expressed gratitude to the Royal Government of Bhutan, the Department of Forest and Park Services for allowing plant collection, and the National Biodiversity Center for providing research support.
Their work, published under the title “New Records of Flowering Plants for the Flora of Bhutan” in the Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy (2025), is more than a scientific report. It is a fresh reminder that even in the 21st century, Bhutan’s forests still have stories to tell and that the journey to discover them is far from over.
