New Botanical Discovery: Cornus wardiana Rushforth & Wahlsteen, A New Record of a Plant From India

The genus Cornus L. (Cornaceae) in India is represented primarily by woody taxa distributed in the Himalayan region. Cornus wardiana Rushforth & Wahlsteen, a herbaceous member of the genus, was previously known only from a single location in northern Myanmar. This study reports the first record of C. wardiana from India, discovered at an elevation of 3200 m in high subalpine forests of East Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh. This find documents a wider distribution of species within the Eastern Himalayas than previously recognized. The species is a rhizomatous, evergreen herb distinguished from its circumboreal congeners by quadrangular stems, four to seven pairs of persistent, leathery leaves with revolute margins, and purple petals. It occurs on moss‐covered substrates within Abies‐Betula ecotones, representing a significant “Indo‐Sino‐Himalayan” floristic link. The discovery substantially extends the known geographical range of the species into the Eastern Himalayas. Unlike its circumboreal congeners ( C. canadensis , C. suecica , and C. unalaschkensis ), C. wardiana represents a Sino‐Himalayan lineage. Incorporating the newly discovered Indian population, the species is provisionally assessed as Near Threatened (NT) and currently assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) under the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. This discovery refines the biogeographic understanding of the dwarf dogwood clade and highlights the Eastern Himalaya.