New medicinal ginger species found in India
After collecting and systematically analysing the species, scientists found that the new species indeed possesses ethno-medicinal uses.
“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,” Lal Ji Singh, taxonomist and one of the scientists behind the discovery, told The Hindu.
As per scientific information available, there are 141 species of genus Zingiber are distributed throughout tropical Asia, including China, Japan and tropical Australia. Of these, 20 are reported from India, which include seven (the latest being Zingiber pseudosquarrosum) from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Most of the species of these Gingers are endemic to India.
source: thehindu.com