• 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.

Source: The Hindu