CURCUMA : ENVIRONMENT
NEWS : Researchers discover new species of genus Curcuma in
Nagaland
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS ?
Found
at Ungma village in Mokokchung district. Discovery by Mamiyil Sabu and V.S.
Hareesh of the Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences,
Kozhikode, Kerala, and P. Tiatemsu of the Department of Botany, Fazl Ali
College, Nagaland
Curcuma ungmensis:
- Classification: Belongs to the
genus Curcuma in the Zingiberaceae
family (ginger family).
- Physical Characteristics:
- Height: 65-90 cm.
- Flowers: Prominent yellow, bloom
during the rainy season (August to October), last one day.
- Rhizome: Branched, deeply buried in
soil, allows new shoots to grow upwards.
- Naming: Named after Ungma
village in Mokokchung district, Nagaland.
- Threats: Faces severe threats from road
development, building construction, and natural calamities.
Zingiberaceae (Ginger Family):
- Distribution: Tropical Africa,
Asia, and the Americas.
- Genera and Species: About 50 genera
and 1600 species.
- Indian Representation: 21 genera and
approximately 200 taxa.
Curcuma (Genus):
- Native Regions: Southeast Asia,
southern China, Indian Subcontinent, New Guinea, northern Australia, and
the south Pacific.
- Characteristics:
- Height: Up to 1 meter.
- Rhizomes: Edible, yellow or orange
interior, used as spice (curcuma).
- Indian Species: About 40 species,
mainly in northeast and southern States and the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.
Source : https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/researchers-discover-new-species-of-genus-curcuma-in-nagaland/article68618227.ece