Scientists of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have found a new species of Zingiber (commonly referred as Ginger) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The species Zingiber pseudosquarrosum, new to science, belonging to genus Zingiber.
It was already used by the local Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups ( PVTGs) of the Andamans for its medicinal values.
The fresh extract [juice] of fleshy tuberous roots is used to treat abdominal pain and anti-helminthic troubles by Nicobarese and certain other tribal communities.
This pseudo stem of the new species is predominantly red in colour.
Flowers have a vermilion tinge and dehisced fruit [fully mature fruits] are lotus shaped.
Inflorescence buds are urceolate in shape.
The species has got tuberous root.
The morphological features of this species makes it distinct from other species belonging to the genus Zingiber.
Like other species of Gingers, this new species is edible and can be propagated vegetatively from the rhizome.
The planted rhizomes were successfully vegetatively propagated at the BSI garden at Port Blair after transplantation.
