Two Botany students from Annamalai University in Chidambaram and their guide have discovered a new plant species in the grape family. Found in the southern Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, in Villupuram district, during a climb up the 290-foot-tall Sanjeevi hill for documenting plants, the species has been named Cyphostemma annamalaii after the founder of the university, Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiyar.

“It has a different morphology from others in allied species. For instance, Cyphostemma setosum, an allied species, starts with a single leaf and ends with three leaves, and has an ovate-shaped fruit that is red. The petals are greenish-white on the top half, then becoming reddish brown. It also has medicinal properties and is used to treat stomach ulcers, and is antidiabetic and antimicrobial. Whereas Cyphostemma annamalaii is a climber with a round fruit that is yellow. The petals of the flowers are white or yellow. It starts with three leaves and ends with three leaves. The phytochemical analysis of the plant is nearing completion,” explained S. Akash, who, along with another PhD scholar, K. Manikandan, found the climber with its distinct leaves and fruit. They are presently pursuing their PhDs under A. Rajesh of the Department of Medicinal Botany, Siddha Medical College, Palayamkottai.

L. Mullainathan, a professor and HOD of Botany at Annamalai University, explained that the family Vitaceae Juss, commonly known as the grape family, comprises over 1,000 species belonging to 20 genera, of which Cyphostemma is the second largest genus, consisting of nearly 250 species. It is found in tropical and subtropical regions. “The students found the plant at an elevation of 86 m in that tropical dry forest in Panaimalaipettai,” he added.

Mr. Manikandan said that the plant was growing in open, scrubby vegetation. It had a tuberous root and climbed by utilising surrounding vegetation for support. “Over a period of one year, we documented 287 species found on the hill. Locals use a lot of these plants. Some are used for fodder and others for medicinal purposes. They also collect wood for fuel and honey from the tall trees inside the dense forest area. It is also a sacred grove and has two temples — one attributed to Perumal, which is located inside a cave, and another, a Shivan temple. We saw animals including snakes such as the king cobra, porcupines, garden lizards, butterflies, and eagles. There are no steps leading to the temples,” he added.

Mr. Rajesh explained that the species was officially published in the journal Phytotaxa in March 2026. “The herbarium with the dried plants has been submitted to St. Joseph’s College in Tiruchi and to the Botanical Survey of India in Coimbatore. This find has been reviewed by experts in Vitaceae, which means Cyphostemma annamalaii is indeed a new species. Even locals do not have a name for it.”