Silchar (Assam) | A rare flowering plant, Rungia mastersii, which was not seen for nearly 180 years after its discovery, has been spotted again in the jungles of Assam's Dima Hasao district, researchers said on Tuesday.

The rediscovery was made by a team of researchers from Assam University -- Debjyoti Bhattacharyya and Kangkan Kumar Das -- and a research article about it was published in a peer-reviewed international journal recently.

The plant, rediscovered in the Jatinga hills of the district, is noted for its pale green and whitish flowers with delicate purple patterns.

The flowering plant was discovered by J W Masters at an unidentified location in Assam in 1845.

The rediscovery of R. mastersii after nearly two centuries proclaims the rich floristic diversity of northeastern India as a whole and Assam in particular, the researchers said.

However, the species remains isolated in distribution and poorly known, and hence, intensive surveys are urgently needed to locate extant populations and evaluate potential threats, they added.

These will facilitate evidence-based planning and the implementation of appropriate management measures, the researchers added.