Plant of the Week – Zingiber Sabuanum

Green Ahalia introduce a very unique plant this week namely Zingiber sabuanum K.M.P. Kumar & A. Joe, a very rare, endemic plant found distributed only in the North- Eastern side of the Palakkad district (Hills near Dhoni waterfalls and in the Akamalavaram forest). The plant is a recently discovered ginger genus member from the hill slopes of Dhoni forest in an altitude range of 600m asl. The plant differs from any other ginger members by its stoloniferous nature of rhizomes. Shady hill slopes with high humous content are the most preferred habitat. Many associated members like Zingiber neesanum and Zingiber nimmonii are also found along with them.

As part of the on – going project on Assistance to Botanic Garden funded by MoEF, Govt. of India, we were able to collect seedlings and re- establish them in our ex – situ conservatory RET shade house. We aim to successfully multiply the seedlings and increase its population.