1. Home
  2. Current Affairs
  3. News Crux
  4. ‘Humboldtia nairiana’ Discovered in Kerala

‘Humboldtia nairiana’ Discovered in Kerala

  • 29 May 2026

In May 2026, scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala) discovered a new evergreen tree species from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala.

  • The newly identified species was named Humboldtia nairiana.
  • The species was discovered in the riparian (riverine) forests of the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • It belongs to the genus Humboldtia and was named in honour of G. M. Nair, a noted plant biotechnologist.
  • The species is strictly endemic to Kerala and is currently known only from the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve.
  • Humboldtia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae (legume family).
  • Most species of this genus are endemic to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot and are known for their ecological association with ants (myrmecophily).