AHMEDABAD: Gujarat has added a new white-flowered variety of a herb plant to its botanical records after researchers identified it during a biodiversity survey in Chhota Udepur district.
The Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation has formally described the new variety as Rungia repens var. alba. It was discovered near Khapariya village in the Narmada Canal Command Area, where researchers found three mature plants growing in a marshy habitat near a water rivulet.
Researchers collected a specimen, prepared a herbarium sheet and deposited the voucher specimen at the GEER Foundation Herbarium.
Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia welcomed the discovery and said the variety was named Rungia repens var. alba, with "alba" referring to its white flowers. He said the study was carried out under the project on the environmental and ecological impact of the Narmada Canal System, funded by Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited.
Minister of State for Forests and Environment Pravin Mali said the discovery highlights the importance of systematic biodiversity surveys in documenting Gujarat's plant diversity.
According to forest officials, Gujarat has recorded 1,114 herb species so far.
The newly identified variety differs from the commonly found Rungia repens, which bears bluish-purple flowers. Researchers said the new plant has a pure white corolla, medium-sized flower spikes and smaller bracts with greenish-white pointed tips.
The herb grows about 8-10 cm tall with a smooth cylindrical stem and leaves measuring around 2-8 cm by 1-3 cm. It flowers between February and April and fruits from May to June, while the common variety flowers from August to January.
The type specimen was collected on November 14, 2025, from Khapariya village at an elevation of about 113 metres.
Dr Jaipal Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), said the identification adds another documented botanical variation to Gujarat's biodiversity records and underlines the need for continued ecological surveys in the Narmada Canal landscape.
Researchers compared the specimen with Rungia repens specimens preserved in the Kew (K), JCB and CAL herbaria before concluding that it represented a new variety.
The research team included Rajkumar Yadav, Naman Nayak, Vinesh Gamit, Amitkumar Nayak (IFS) and B.P. Pati (IFS) of the GEER Foundation. Dr Yadav said the discovery has been accepted for publication in The Indian Forester.
The GEER Foundation Herbarium has also received the official acronym "GEERFH" from the Index Herbariorum, published by The New York Botanical Garden. Established in 1982, the herbarium houses about 3,107 plant specimens collected across Gujarat, including angiosperms, gymnosperms, aquatic plants, seaweeds, sedges and all 14 mangrove species found in the state.
