THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A group of scientists from Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has confirmed the discovery of a new species of myrtle (jamun, njaval) in the Western Ghats. They have named the species Syzygium Sahyadricum. The species was discovered by a team comprising P Sujanapal, A J Robi and N Sasidharan while on a floristic exploration in the interior forests of Eravikulam National Park.
It grows in the shola forests of Anamalai and Palani hills above 1800 m elevation. Sahyadricum blooms in December and bears edible fruits from March to May.
This is not the first time that botanists chanced upon the species. British botanist J S Gamble, who did extensive research on the flora of Madras Presidency Region, did come across it, but mistook it for Syzygium Spathulatum Thwaites, a species endemic to Sri Lanka.
KFRI is an institute dedicated to research on tropical forests and forestry. The scientists there compared their specimen with Syzygium collections in other herbaria like Madras Herbarium, Rapinat Herbarium in Thiruchirapalli, Calicut University Herbarium and Botanical Survey of India Herbarium in Pune. There were similar specimens in all these places, but those were labelled as Syzygium Caryophyllatum or Syzygium Spathulatum.
Gamble and other scientists might have been misled by the shape of the leaves which are elliptic-oblong for both species. However, the pale yellow tender leaves and white flowers of Sahyadricum makes it recognizably distinct from the bright copper-coloured tender leaves and pale pink flowers of Spathulatum, according to the KFRI scientists.
When shown to people in the nearby areas, local names like ‘Pottinjaval’ and ‘Pillanjaval’ emerged. Sujanapal says, ‘’Sometimes different species belonging to the same genus might be identified by a common local name.
Normally, the fine differences are not taken into account.’’ Several species of syzygium have medicinal value and economic importance. It remains to be seen what the new species holds within it.