Team comprising Kerala researchers discovers new turmeric variety in India

A new variety of turmeric, named Curcuma ungmensis, has been discovered in the forests of Ungma village, Mokokchung district, Nagaland. This finding was made during a field trip in September 2023 by researchers Mamiyil Sabu and V.S. Hareesh from the Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences in Kozhikode, Kerala, alongside P. Tiatemsu from the Department of Botany at Fazl Ali College, Nagaland. 

The discovery has been documented in an article published in the international journal Phytotaxa based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Curcuma ungmensis belongs to the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It can be used for fragrance, medicine, and culinary uses. During their research, the team noted that this new variety features large flowers and distinctive white comma bracts, setting it apart from its close relative, Curcuma inodora, found in the Konkan region. The differences were particularly evident in the size of the underground stem (rhizome) and flower characteristics.

Preliminary observations suggest that around a thousand plants are in Ungma village, with the flowers remaining intact for up to two months. The attractively colored blooms make the plant suitable for ornamental use as well.

The Curcuma genus includes commercially important species such as turmeric, black turmeric and mango ginger. In India, the Curcuma genus comprises about 40 species, primarily located in northeastern and southern states, as well as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.