Scientists have discovered
two new species of ginger in
easternmost districts, Ukhrul
in Manipur and Tuensang
in Nagaland, both bordering
Myanmar.
Hedychium chingmeianum,
the species discovered
in Tuensang district, is an
epiphytic plant and grows on
tall trees, while Caulokaempferia
dinabandhuensis
was found growing in
rock crevices, boulders and
humus rich soil in the Shirui
Hills, where the highest peak
stands at an elevation of
2,938 metres.
Both the plants are from
the family of Zingiberaceae,
to which the commonly
found ginger (Zingiber ocinale)
belongs.
Two Botanical Survey of
India (BSI) scientists, Nripemo
Odyou and Dilip Kumar
Roy, found the plant Hedychium
chingmeianum, growing
on tree trunks at Chingmei
village in Tuensang
district.
The plant, with reddish
stems and creamy white
owers, was brought to the
regional centre of BSI, Shillong,
and cultivated there.
Paper published
A paper on the discovery
was published earlier this
year in Telopea, an international
Journal of Plant Systematics.
“Most of the species under
the genus Hedychium
have medicinal properties.
It
is yet to be ascertained
whether the newly discovered
species Hedychium
chingmeianum has medicinal
properties or not,” Mr.
Odyou told The Hindu.
He said that out of 44 taxa,
31 species and 13 varieties of
genus Hedychium found in
India, only five are reported
in south India.
The remaining
species are all found in
the northeast.
The species Caulokaempferia
dinabandhuensis was
discovered by Biseshwori
Thongam and Bipin Konsam
of the Institute of Bioresources
and Sustainable Development.
The species has beautiful
oval shaped pink
owers which appear in
June July.
It was during a trip to Ukhrul
hills that Dinabandhu
Sahoo, director of the IBSD,
spotted this species.
The scientists named the
species after Mr. Dinabandhu
Sahoo
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