In a significant botanical discovery, a scientist from Odisha has identified a new variety of wild sponge gourd, marking its first-ever report from India and introducing it as a novel find to the global scientific community. The discovery was made in the diverse landscapes of Odisha and promises to enrich the genetic pool of cultivated gourds.
Discovery and Details of the New Plant
The breakthrough was made by Ramesh Chandra Misra, a principal scientist at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) regional station in Cuttack. During extensive exploration missions across India's biodiversity-rich zones from 2018 to 2025, Misra encountered this unique plant in two distinct locations: the Malkangiri and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha.
The new taxonomic variety has been formally named Luffa aegyptiaca var. alba R.C. Misra var. nov. Its most distinguishing characteristic is its rare, white-coloured seeds, which lack a winged margin. The plant also features a slightly hairy and rough stem, small leaves and petiole, and produces small raceme, flowers, and fruits.
Publication and Traditional Use
The comprehensive research detailing the variety's description, photographic evidence, and a comparison of its diagnostic features with other known varieties was published in the international peer-reviewed French journal, Adansonia. Misra co-authored the paper with P. Karmakar, a senior scientist from ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi.
According to information gathered from tribal communities in the area, the tender fruits of this wild sponge gourd are notably very bitter. The locals have developed a method to consume it, where it is occasionally cooked with pumpkin or other vegetables. To reduce the bitterness, the curry is prepared using a double boiling process before consumption.
For future research and easy identification, the original herbarium type specimens have been deposited at two key national repositories: the National Herbarium of Cultivated Plants at ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi, and the Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, in Howrah.
Significance and Conservation Status
This discovery holds substantial importance for agriculture and plant genetics. The new wild variety is expected to widen the genetic base of the cultivated sponge gourd. More importantly, it may serve as a potential source of disease resistance, which can be crucial for developing more robust commercial crop varieties.
However, the future of this newly documented plant requires attention. Its conservation status has been provisionally assessed as 'Data Deficient' according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria. Scientist Ramesh Chandra Misra emphasized the need for proactive measures, stating, "Further, safe measures should be taken for conservation and its efficient utilisation to include it as a potential vegetable crop."
This finding underscores the rich, yet often undocumented, plant diversity in India's regional ecosystems and highlights the critical role of systematic botanical exploration in unlocking genetic resources for future food security.
