New Ginger Species Parakaempferia alba Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang Valley

A new ginger species, Parakaempferia alba, is discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s Siang Valley and is published in the Nordic Journal of Botany. The discovery is reported from East Siang district, making the species under biodiversity and species discovery.

New Ginger Species: Parakaempferia alba

Dimension	Key Details
Species	Parakaempferia alba; comprises a species in the ginger family
Discovery location	East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh
Habitat	Growing along shaded streambanks with humid, sandy soil at an altitude of 150–400 meters
Distribution	Found in moist tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia
Key characteristics	Provides for difference in leaf shape compared to Parakaempferia synantha; structure of flower clusters (spikes) and bracts also differ from P. synantha
Unique feature	Unique glands near the base of the flower (near the ovary), not seen in the related species
Ginger	Ginger (Zingiber officinale) comprises an herbaceous perennial plant with pungent aromatic rhizome (underground stem) used as a spice, flavoring, food, and medicine
Family	Ginger is governed by family Zingiberaceae
Typical habitat	Members of Zingiberaceae usually grow in moist shady places of the tropical regions
Biodiversity value	Arunachal Pradesh, being part of the Eastern Himalayas, highlights the ecological richness of this global biodiversity hotspot