Undergraduate students from the Department of Botany at Kaliabor College (Autonomous) have made a notable scientific contribution by recording the first documented presence of the plant species *Salvia misella* in Northeast India. This achievement highlights the institution's commitment to academic excellence and field-based research.
The pioneering identification was carried out by a dedicated student research team comprising Guriya Bhawal, Hiya Das, Joniyal Tisso, and Prasenjit Mahatu. Their work was meticulously supervised by Dr. Dipankar Bora, an Assistant Professor within the college's Botany Department. The students' methodology involved rigorous field-based observation and comprehensive surveys, leading to the formal documentation of the species' occurrence.
The initial identification of *Salvia misella* was made within the college campus itself. Following this crucial discovery, the students broadened their scope, conducting extensive field surveys across various locations in Kaliabor to ascertain the species' distribution patterns. Their diligent efforts confirmed the plant's presence and spread along the route leading to Sri Sri Kamakhya Devalaya at Silghat in Kaliabor, further solidifying its recorded existence in the northeastern region.
The significant findings have since been formally published in the esteemed Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany. The paper, titled “First Report of Salvia misella (Lamiaceae) from Northeast India,” officially establishes the species’ presence in this biodiversity-rich part of the country, contributing valuable data to regional botanical studies and underscoring the potential for undergraduate research in scientific exploration.
Continue Reading
