Sri Vijaya Puram, May 13: Scientist from Botanical Survey of India, Lal Singh has discovered a unique wild banana species, Musa indandamanensis L.J. Singh (Musaceae) in a remote tropical forest on the Andaman Islands which represents India holds the record for longest infructescence of wild banana. Detailed study has been published in An International Scientific Journal of the French Botanical Society, Botany Letters in 2025.
Representative museum specimens of longest infructescence (fruit bunch lux axis) of wild banana (Musa indandamanensis) are deposited in the museum of Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre and Industrial Section, Indian Museum (ISIM), Kolkata as museum exhibits for public.
It is assessed as critically endangered and threatened species based on IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Currently conservation efforts were undertaken by Botanical Survey of India and its live samplings of this species introduced in AJCB, Indian Botanic Garden Howrah, West Bengal, Botanical Garden of Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre and Central Regional Centre Uttar Pradesh as a part of ex-situ conservation.
Musa indandamanensis easily recognized in the field by the robust stature of the pseudostem (over 11 metres in height, robust stature, base of pseudo-stem up to 110 cm in diameter), suckering freely with only one sucker per individual at a time (solitary); inflorescence cylindrical with dark green bracts, fertile bracts compact and incised at apex; infructescence (fruiting axis) over 4 meters long, fruits golden yellow or orange when ripened, fruit with golden orange pulp and seeds plenty, irregularly shaped.
Botanical Scientist, Lal Singh who has made this discovery, and discovery of a new genus and over 25 species as new to science and botanical curiosities like occurrence of aerial roots in 13 taxa, phloem wedges in roots of some Bignoniaceous genera, vessels in some Pteridophytes, vivipary in some non -mangrove plants for the first time. One of his pioneer research finding is an invention of Reusable, eco-friendly drinking straw: A novel way to replace plastic drinking straws which granted patent. Dr. Singh has published over 190 research articles in the leading peer reviewed National and International Journals and authored 02 books.
The contribution made by him in the discovery of Dendrophthoe laljii, Portulaca laljii, Pyrostria laljii has been much recognized and honored by the International Botanists which is evident by the conferment of the specific epithet (Etymology) ‘laljii’ to the above generic names.
