Description
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Context
- Researchers in Manipur have discovered a new flowering plant species in Kakching district.
- It was found dwelling along the bank of the Sekmai River of Kakching district.
- They have named the new plant species Curcuma kakchingense.
Curcuma kakchingense
- Curcuma kakchingense belongs to the angiospermic family Zingiberaceae which includes Curcuma, Gingers and Cardamom.
- The new flowering plant species is a robust plant, as tall as eight feet, having large terminal inflorescence.
- The species has close resemblance to Curcuma phrayawan, a species reported from Thailand.
- Its conservation status remains Data Deficient under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List category.
According to IUCN, Data Deficient (DD) is a condition applied to species in which the amount of available data related to its risk of extinction is lacking in some way. Consequently, a complete assessment cannot be performed.
- Curcuma is important for its use in cuisines, traditional medicines, spices, dyes, perfumes, cosmetics, and as ornamental plants.
- Therefore, the discovery of a new species of Curcuma will definitely open up new vistas for investigation of their phytochemistry, biological activity, and application in the development of new nutraceuticals or pharmaceutical novelties.
