New wild ginger species discovered in Odisha's Similipal Biosphere Reserve

Researchers from Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University in Odisha's Baripada have claimed to have discovered a new species of wild ginger from Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in Mayurbhanj district, officials said.

The discovery was made by Dr. Sudam Charan Sahu, assistant professor of Botany, and Sifan Priyadarshini, Ph.D research scholar of Botany, who have been studying and exploring the diversity of the Zingiberaceae family in Odisha for the past three years, the varsity said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to researchers, the new species was discovered in August 2024 from the semi-evergreen forest at Kulipala, SBR.

"After a detailed observation of its unique morphological characteristics, it was confirmed as a new species," said Sahu, adding that the research paper has been published in the international journal 'Phytotaxa'.

They said the new species, 'Zingiber jagannathii Sahu & Priyadarshini,' has been named in honour of 'Lord Jagannath.'  This new species was found growing only in one location at an elevation of 758 metres, covering less than 1 sqkm.

"The researchers are exploring ways to gather more information on the distribution, ecology and potential medicinal property of the new species, which could lead to the development of new drugs and therapeutics," Sahu said.

They emphasised that this new discovery highlights the rich biodiversity and ecological importance of SBR, underscoring the need for conservation of its unique habitats.