Guwahati: A newly identified ginger lily species from Northeast India has been named Hedychium zubeengargianum in honour of late Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, recognising his contributions to music, cinema and environmental conservation.
The new plant species, part of the Zingiberaceae family, was discovered by a team comprising Dilip Kumar Roy of Birjhora Mahavidyalaya under Bongaigaon University, along with Rikertre Lytan and Nripemo Odyuo from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Shillong.
Researchers first came across the fragrant, cream-white ginger lily in 2018 at the BSI botanical garden in Shillong.
After conducting detailed taxonomic studies over several years, they established that the plant was a distinct species previously unknown to science.
The discovery was published on July 21, 2026, in the June edition of Phytotaxonomy, the peer-reviewed journal of the Association for Plant Taxonomy. The research paper was titled “Hedychium zubeengargianum (Zingiberaceae), a new ginger lily from Northeastern India.”
The scientists said the species was named after Zubeen Garg to honour his achievements in Indian music and cinema, as well as his efforts towards environmental conservation and the protection of forests and biodiversity.
They said the species name “zubeengargianum” represents a tribute to the singer’s cultural legacy and his close association with nature.
According to the researchers, naming the sweet-scented wild flower after him would help carry forward his environmental message through botanical science.
Researchers had earlier honoured Zubeen Garg by naming a flowering plant discovered in the grasslands of Manas National Park as Osbeckia zubeengargiana.
The study on the species was later published in the international botanical journal Phytotaxa, making it the second plant named after the late singer in 2026.