Scientists discover Hedychium zubeengargianum in Northeast India, dedicating the newly identified ginger lily to the late Assamese icon for his contributions to music, cinema and environmental conservation
Guwahati: In a rare scientific tribute, botanists have named a newly discovered ginger lily species Hedychium zubeengargianum after the late Assamese music icon and environmental advocate Zubeen Garg, honouring his contributions to Indian music and his commitment to nature conservation.
The new species, belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, was identified by a team led by Dilip Kumar Roy of Birjhora Mahavidyalaya, Bongaigaon University, along with Rikertre Lytan and Nripemo Odyuo of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Shillong.
The fragrant, creamy-white flowering plant was first collected from the BSI botanical garden in Shillong in 2018. After several years of taxonomic research, scientists confirmed it as a previously unknown species. The discovery was formally published on July 21, 2026, in the peer-reviewed journal Phytotaxonomy.
The researchers said the species was named after Zubeen Garg in recognition of his immense contribution to music and cinema, as well as his long-standing advocacy for environmental conservation and biodiversity protection.
“The choice of the specific epithet ‘zubeengargianum’ is a conscious and deeply respectful tribute to the artist’s decades of cultural contributions and his unwavering love for nature,” the research team said.
This marks the second flowering plant named after Zubeen Garg in 2026. Earlier this year, another newly discovered species from Manas National Park was named Osbeckia zubeengargiana, making him one of the few cultural figures to receive multiple botanical tributes in a single year.
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