Wild Eggplant – Solanum pandeyi

Why in News?

Recently, A new species of wild brinjal, discovered in the evergreen forests of Middle Andaman by Dr. Lal Ji Singh of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

• Common Name – Wild orange eggplant, has ethnobotanical significance for the Great Andamanese tribe.
• Scientific Name – Solanum pandeyi.
• Genus – Solanum (Leptostemonum clade).
• Family – Solanaceae.
• Nomenclature – Named after Prof. Arun Kumar Pandey, University of Delhi, for his contributions to plant systematics.
• Morphological traits – Variation in spines, stellate hairs.
• Distribution – Endemic to Middle Andaman, found along forest edges.
• Genetic confirmation – Phylogenetic analysis distinguishes it from Solanum lasiocarpum.
• Ethnobotanical uses –
  • Seeds and roots used by Great Andamanese tribe to treat tooth infection.
  • Ripe fruit consumed with jaggery, chilli, garlic, ginger, and salt by settler communities.

Ethnobotany – Study of how people of a culture or region use native plants for medicine, food, rituals, and daily needs. 

• Breeding Potential – It as an excellent genetic resource, plant breeders could use to develop high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties of the commercial brinjal crop.

Reference

The Hindu | Solanum pandeyi