Quick answer: Bupleurum oslaense is a new species of perennial herb in the carrot family (Apiaceae). Botanical Survey of India scientists found it near Osla village, inside the Govind Pashu Vihar protected area of Uttarakhand. It was described in the Nordic Journal of Botany in October 2026 and, with only three mature plants known, has been assessed as Critically Endangered.
Why Bupleurum oslaense is in the news
Three Botanical Survey of India (BSI) botanists, Jayanta Ghosh, Manas Bhaumik and Priyanka Bhandari, formally described the plant as a species new to science. Their paper appeared in the Nordic Journal of Botany on 21 October 2026, and the science portal Research Matters reported it on 3 November 2026. The team first collected the plant on a field tour in July 2024, from rocky walls beside a stream near Osla village, at about 2,550 metres in temperate Western Himalayan forest.
The researchers located just one population of three mature individuals, confined to an area of about 4 sq km. Using IUCN guidelines, they assessed the species as Critically Endangered.
Key facts about Bupleurum oslaense
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Family | Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), the carrot or parsley family |
| Type of plant | Perennial herb, stout, up to 80 cm tall |
| Type locality | Near Osla village, Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand |
| Altitude | About 2,550 m |
| Name | The epithet oslaense comes from Osla village |
| Closest relative | Bupleurum petiolulatum, a species of China |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered (assessed using IUCN guidelines) |
| Published in | Nordic Journal of Botany, October 2026 |
How scientists confirmed it is a new species
The BSI team combined fieldwork, classical taxonomy and DNA analysis:
- Field collection: Fresh leaves were dried in silica gel so that DNA could be extracted later.
- Molecular check: They sequenced the nuclear ribosomal ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region and built family trees using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. Both placed the plant as a distinct species.
- Herbarium comparison: Specimens were compared with records in Indian and foreign herbaria, including collections from China and Bhutan.
Several features separate it from its Chinese relative B. petiolulatum:
- A sturdier, stouter build and more rays (stalks) in each flower head.
- Upper leaves wider than the lower ones and edged in red.
- Larger bracts, three to five of them, and 10 to 20 flowers in each small umbel (umbellule).
- Broadly egg-shaped fruits with slightly winged ribs, unlike the oblong or elliptical fruits of B. petiolulatum.
Govind Pashu Vihar: where the plant was found
- Set up on 1 March 1955 as a wildlife sanctuary in Uttarkashi district, it was later upgraded to a national park. It is named after Govind Ballabh Pant.
- National park and sanctuary together cover about 958 sq km in the upper Garhwal Himalaya, at altitudes from 1,400 m to 6,323 m.
- The government’s Snow Leopard Project is run here, and the area remains a stronghold of the bearded vulture.
- The trekking valley of Har Ki Dun lies inside the park, and Osla is a stop on the route to it.
Exam angle: how NDA, CDS and CAPF can ask this
- Questions on national parks of Uttarakhand (Jim Corbett, Rajaji, Nanda Devi, Valley of Flowers, Gangotri, Govind) and their districts are common in NDA and CDS geography.
- The Botanical Survey of India (under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) and the Zoological Survey of India are frequent “which body does what” questions.
- Know the order of IUCN Red List threat categories: Critically Endangered, then Endangered, then Vulnerable.
- New species reports from the Himalaya and the Western Ghats are a regular current-affairs theme.
Practice MCQs
Q1. Bupleurum oslaense, a new plant species, was discovered in which protected area?
(a) Valley of Flowers NP (b) Govind Pashu Vihar NP and Sanctuary (c) Nanda Devi NP (d) Rajaji NP
Answer: (b) — it was found near Osla village inside Govind Pashu Vihar, Uttarakhand.
Q2. Bupleurum oslaense belongs to which plant family?
(a) Asteraceae (b) Apiaceae (c) Fabaceae (d) Orchidaceae
Answer: (b) — it is a member of the carrot family, Apiaceae.
Q3. What conservation status has been proposed for Bupleurum oslaense?
(a) Vulnerable (b) Endangered (c) Critically Endangered (d) Data Deficient
Answer: (c) — only three mature plants in one population are known.
Q4. Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Sanctuary is located in which district?
(a) Chamoli (b) Pithoragarh (c) Uttarkashi (d) Dehradun
Answer: (c) — it lies in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bupleurum oslaense?
It is a newly described perennial herb of the Apiaceae family. It grows up to 80 cm tall and has so far been found only near Osla village in Uttarakhand.
Who discovered Bupleurum oslaense?
Botanical Survey of India researchers Jayanta Ghosh, Manas Bhaumik and Priyanka Bhandari. They collected it in July 2024 and published the description in October 2026.
Why is it classed as Critically Endangered?
Only one population of three mature plants has been found, in an area of about 4 sq km. That makes the risk of extinction extremely high under IUCN guidelines.
Which species is it most similar to?
It is closest to Bupleurum petiolulatum from China. It differs in its stouter habit, larger bracts, more flowers per umbellule and red-edged upper leaves.
Where is Govind Pashu Vihar?
It is in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, in the upper Garhwal Himalaya. It was first set up as a sanctuary in 1955 and includes the Har Ki Dun valley.
Also read on NCA: International Day for Biosphere Reserves | Shey Phoksundo Lake | Monthly defence current affairs PDFs | CAPF coaching in Chandigarh
Sources: Research Matters, Nordic Journal of Botany (Ghosh, Bhaumik and Bhandari, 2026), Wikipedia: Govind Pashu Vihar. Facts as reported up to 4 November 2026.
Featured image background (representative): Chits009 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
