Sri Vijaya Puram, June 22:
In a significant addition to India's botanical knowledge, scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have discovered a new species of wild brinjal in the evergreen forests of Middle Andaman. The discovery highlights the exceptional biodiversity of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and their importance as a global ecological hotspot.
The newly identified species, named Solanum pandeyi, was discovered by Dr. Lal Ji Singh, Head of the Botanical Survey of India's Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre. The plant was found growing naturally along forest edges in Middle Andaman and is locally known as the Wild Orange Eggplant.
According to Dr. Singh, the species has long been used by the indigenous Great Andamanese community for both food and traditional medicine. The seeds and roots are reportedly used to treat tooth infections, while the ripe fruits are prepared into a sweet-and-sour sauce using jaggery, chilli, garlic, ginger and salt by Ranchi and Bengali settler communities living on the islands.
To confirm that the plant represented a previously unknown species, researchers conducted detailed morphological and DNA-based phylogenetic analyses. The genetic study was carried out by Shruti Kasana of the University of Delhi.
The discovery has been published in the international peer-reviewed scientific journal Feddes Repertorium under the title A New Species of Solanum L. (Solanaceae) From the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India: Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Insights.
Researchers believe the newly discovered species possesses valuable genetic traits that could assist plant breeders in developing high-yielding and disease-resistant brinjal varieties in the future. Its unique ethnobotanical importance also makes it a valuable genetic resource for scientific research.
The species has been named Solanum pandeyi in honour of Professor Arun Kumar Pandey of the Department of Botany, University of Delhi, recognising his significant contributions to plant systematics.
Dr. Singh noted that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands continue to reveal remarkable biological diversity. During the past three decades, he has documented nearly 28 plant species new to science, including wild relatives of banana and ginger, reinforcing the islands' status as one of India's richest centres of biodiversity.
The conservation status of Solanum pandeyi has currently been assessed as Data Deficient, indicating that further field surveys are required to determine its population size, distribution and long-term conservation needs.
The discovery is expected to contribute significantly to future research in botany, genetics, agriculture and biodiversity conservation while further highlighting the ecological importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.