Documentation of Hovenia acerba as a distinct taxon newly recorded from the Western Himalaya with its distribution and IUCN conservation status

<title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Hovenia acerba</italic> Lindl. (Rhamnaceae), a deciduous tree of the Sino-Japanese region, is reported here as a new record for the flora of Jammu and Kashmir based on specimens collected from Jammu province, North-Western Himalaya. Although earlier literature subsumed this taxon under <italic>Hovenia dulcis</italic> Thunb. <italic>sensu lato</italic> , a critical re-examination of morphological characters including leaf apex shape, inflorescence symmetry, style division and sepal venation substantiates the recognition of <italic>H</italic> . <italic>acerba</italic> as a distinct taxon. The present contribution provides a detailed morphological description, a dichotomous identification key to Indian <italic>Hovenia</italic> taxa, updated distributional records, discussion placing the species within the Sino-Himalayan floristic element and notes on its ecology and conservation status under IUCN criteria. The discovery validates the significance of the Western Himalayan hotspot as a home for Asian disjunct taxa and highlights the need for intensified botanical exploration in these botanically rich but less explored regions. </p>