Researchers from Nagaland University — Vieneite-o Koza and co-researcher Joynath Pegu, under the guidance of Dr Gyati Yam — have discovered a new plant species during systematic field surveys conducted between 2023 and 2025 in the Kavünhou Community Reserved Forest at Khezhakeno village in Phek district, Nagaland. The research was supported by Nagaland University through the Start-Up Project for Young Faculty (SUPYF) and has been published in the international scientific journal Kew Bulletin.
The discovery resulted from detailed botanical exploration in the high-altitude forests of Phek district and led to the identification of a new species, Hoya nagaensis (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae). The finding further highlights Nagaland’s significance as a biodiversity hotspot in Northeast India. The specific epithet “nagaensis” is derived from “Nagaland,” the state where the species was discovered, and honours both the cultural heritage of the Naga community and the ecological importance of its forest ecosystems.
The discovery underscores the conservation value of community-protected forests in Nagaland and the need for sustained botanical exploration and habitat-based conservation efforts. The formal description of Hoya nagaensis also strengthens the taxonomy of the genus Hoya and reinforces Nagaland’s importance as a centre of under-documented plant diversity in Northeast India.
