Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Rare plant found in Dharwad

DHARWAD: A Dharwad-based botany teacher and his research students have found a rare plant in the Vrishabhavati valley in Dharwad.

The plant, Curcuma karnatakensis Amalraj, was hitherto found at only one place in south India: Hirahalli in Uttara Kannada district.

The plant is endemic to Karnataka and belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. The name karnatakensis is derived from Karnataka. Curcuma is a genus of about 80 species including turmeric and Siam Tulip.

This plant was discovered by V.A. Amalraj on September 11, 1990 at Hirahalli. However, not many studies have been conducted on the plant.

K. Kotresha, Reader in Botany, Karnatak Science College, Dharwad, and his students Sidanand V. Kambar and Nagabhushan S. Harihar found the plant on June 8.

According to the team, the plant first produces flowers and then bears leaves. The technical details of the plant are as follows: “It has a small rootstalk, tapering leaves broadly ovate-elliptic and horizontal. Inflorescence is lateral or central, calyx transparent green, three-lobed and unequal. Corolla tube is pale yellow with rose coloured segment, staminodes multicoloured, labellum three-lobed, bright yellow band in the middle starting from the bifid apex, gradually fading towards the base.

Dr. Kotresha told The Hindu that the team would carry out further tests on the plant to ascertain its features and uses.

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