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Botanical Survey of India Discovers Solanum pandeyi in Middle Andaman Forests
The Botanical Survey of India reports the discovery of a new species of wild brinjal in the evergreen forests of Middle Andaman by Dr. Lal Ji Singh. The species is identified as Solanum pandeyi, noted for its ethnobotanical significance for the Great Andamanese tribe and confirmed through phylogenetic analysis.
Solanum pandeyi (Wild orange eggplant):
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Discovering authority and discoverer | The species is discovered by Dr. Lal Ji Singh of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). |
| Common name | The common name is wild orange eggplant. |
| Scientific name | The scientific name is Solanum pandeyi. |
| Taxonomy | The genus is Solanum (Leptostemonum clade), and the family is Solanaceae. |
| Location and habitat | The species is found in the evergreen forests of Middle Andaman. |
| Distribution | The species is endemic to Middle Andaman and is found along forest edges. |
| Morphological traits | The species comprises variation in spines and stellate hairs. |
| Genetic confirmation | Phylogenetic analysis distinguishes it from Solanum lasiocarpum. |
| Nomenclature | The nomenclature is named after Prof. Arun Kumar Pandey, University of Delhi, for his contributions to plant systematics. |
| Ethnobotanical significance | The species has ethnobotanical significance for the Great Andamanese tribe. |
| Ethnobotanical uses | Seeds and roots are used by the Great Andamanese tribe to treat tooth infection. |
| Food use by settler communities | Ripe fruit is consumed with jaggery, chilli, garlic, ginger, and salt by settler communities. |
| Ethnobotany (definition) | Ethnobotany comprises the study of how people of a culture or region use native plants for medicine, food, rituals, and daily needs. |
| Breeding potential | The species is an excellent genetic resource, and plant breeders could use it to develop high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties of the commercial brinjal crop. |