Recently, our scientists have discovered a new and distinct species of banana plant which attains a height of about 11 metres and has orange-coloured fruit pulp. In which part of India has it been discovered?

States Andaman & Nicobar have ~2200 recorded plant varieties with ~200 endemics and many species not on the mainland, showing the islands are a hotspot for unique plant species.

A student could infer that discoveries of distinct plant species on these islands are plausible and look for primary taxonomic reports or local herbarium records to verify this specific banana.

Explicitly notes that tropical fruits including 'a variety of bananas' grow in the Andaman group, indicating bananas can occur naturally or cultivated there.

Combine this with knowledge of local surveys or new species descriptions to check whether a wild, tall banana species was recorded from Andaman fieldwork.

Describes the Andaman & Nicobar floristic region as equatorial rainforest with tropical evergreen vegetation (palms, ferns, lianas) — habitat suitable for diverse and large monocots like bananas.

Use this habitat match plus maps of Andaman rainforest to assess plausibility that a tall banana species could be native there, then seek species-level publications.

Notes wet evergreen forests in Andaman support tall evergreen trees and fruiting species (jackfruit, mango), implying a humid, tall-vegetation ecosystem compatible with large banana plants.

A student could link forest type to ecological requirements of tall banana species and prioritize field reports from wet evergreen zones of Andaman for verification.

Gives general climatic requirements for banana (coastal locations, high rainfall), which match Andaman conditions described elsewhere in the snippets.

Combine this rule with Andaman's climate normals (high rainfall, coastal) to judge ecological plausibility of a banana species occurring there, then consult taxonomic records.

Mentions Anaimalai hills as part of the Western Ghats and describes local shola/evergreen vegetation and high species diversity.

A student could use this to assess whether Anaimalai's rainforest habitat is plausible for hosting a novel banana species by checking maps and biodiversity records for the Western Ghats.

Identifies Anaimalai as one of the montane 'Shola' forest areas in the southern Western Ghats with temperate/subtropical vegetation.

Combine with elevation and climate data for Anaimalai to judge if conditions match known habitats of wild or tall banana relatives.

Describes tropical wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats (where Anaimalai lies) and lists fruit trees commonly found there.

Use this to check whether wet evergreen forests in the Western Ghats are known to host large herbaceous/banana-like plants or related species.

Gives cultivation and climatic preferences for bananas in India (rainfall, frost sensitivity) and notes widespread banana production.

Compare those climatic requirements with local Anaimalai climate to see if a banana species (cultivated or wild) could thrive there.

Provides a comparative list/figure reference showing relative heights of banana and other vegetation in tropical rainforests.

Use typical height ranges for bananas from such sources to judge whether an ~11 m tall banana-like plant is within plausible size for related taxa.

States that India has high plant endemism (≈18% plants endemic; high endemism in flowering plants).

A student could use this rule to judge that discovering a distinct banana species in an Indian hill range is plausible and should prompt checking local endemism records for Maikala Hills.

Lists types of tropical forests (wet-evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous) and the typical regions where they occur (Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayas, Eastern Ghats, North-eastern hills).

A student could compare the Maikala Hills' forest type and rainfall/elevation (from a map or climate data) to these forest types to assess whether habitat suits a large wild banana species.

Describes banana ecological requirements (warm climate, 150–250 cm rainfall desirable, vulnerability to frost) and notes where banana cultivation occurs in India (coastal and warm zones).

A student could check Maikala Hills' climate (rainfall, temperature, frost incidence) to see if it matches conditions that could support a tall banana species.

Gives an example of a plant (cardamom) whose natural habitat is evergreen forests of the Western Ghats and that certain species are confined to specific hill ranges and elevation bands.

By analogy, a student could infer that novel plant species (including bananas) are often found in specific hill-forest habitats and should check whether Maikala Hills have similar evergreen/monsoon forest zones at suitable elevations.

Defines 'endemic/indigenous' species and distinguishes natural (virgin) vegetation from cultivated crops.

A student could use this to recognize that a newly described wild banana would be considered endemic if native to Maikala Hills and not a cultivated variety; this directs them to seek taxonomic or herbarium records for verification.

States banana is essentially a tropical plant and notes it grows successfully in Assam (northeast India) up to 800 m elevation.

A student could combine this with a map showing Assam and its tropical forest zones to judge whether northeast Indian rainforests provide suitable habitat for bananas.

Describes Tropical Wet Evergreen forests occurring 'all along the north-eastern region' and lists tropical fruit trees as common in these forests, indicating suitable rainforest habitat in NE India.

Use this to infer that northeast rainforests host tropical fruit-bearing plants and therefore could plausibly harbour a novel large banana species.

Gives banana's climatic requirements (warm, humid, high rainfall preferred, vulnerable to frost) and notes much cultivation near coasts where such conditions exist.

Compare rainfall and frost patterns of northeast Indian rainforests with these requirements to assess habitat suitability for a tall banana species.

Mentions the relative heights of banana within the Tropical Rain Forest biome, linking banana as a plant type associated with that biome.

A student could use this pattern (banana occurring in tropical rainforests) plus geographic knowledge that parts of NE India are tropical rainforests to infer plausibility of discovery there.

Notes tropical moist deciduous forests occur in north-eastern parts and on Himalayan foothills, showing a spectrum of tropical forest types in NE India.

Distinguish between moist deciduous and wet evergreen rainforest areas on a map to determine which NE forest types are more likely to support large tropical bananas.