The new banana variety, named Clarinha, was discovered by chance in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. The country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) has entered it into the National Registry of Plant Varieties (RNC) of MAPA. This is reported on the Brazilian government’s website.
The variety is the result of a natural mutation of a banana from the Cavendish subgroup. Its main feature is a lighter and shinier skin due to a reduced chlorophyll content: the level is approximately 43 per cent lower.
Tests have confirmed that the new Clarinha variety yields as much fruit as the traditional one. At the same time, it has an aesthetic advantage, which is particularly valuable in winter, when conventional varieties darken more quickly on the shelves.
As noted by Ivanor Boing, head of the regional office of the Ministry of Agriculture in Santa Catarina, the registration of new varieties confirms the innovative potential of local agriculture. Thanks to registration, the new variety becomes suitable for commercial use, expanding opportunities for producers and helping to boost the competitiveness of banana cultivation in the state of Santa Catarina. In total, there are six identified banana varieties in the state, with the municipalities of Luiz Alves and Corupa standing out.
New plant and animal species are not only found in Brazil. Similar discoveries are regularly made in other countries, including the BRICS nations.
A new species of freshwater shrimp of the genus Macrobrachium has been discovered in a nature reserve in south-west China, reports CGTN, a partner of TV BRICS. The discovery, which requires official confirmation, was made on the basis of differences in external structure and genetic analysis compared to known related species. In addition to the shrimp, two species of fish previously unrecorded in the park were discovered for the first time: Cophecheilus bamen and Paranemachilus chongzuo. Since June 2025, a new plant, Styrax congzuoensis, a new species of catfish; and the plant Ottelia alismoides have also been recorded here. The administration plans to monitor populations and restore habitats.
Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) has discovered three new plant species of the genus Homalomena, endemic to the island of Sumatra, reports ANTARA. The species, named Homalomena pachyderma, Homalomena pulopadangensis and Homalomena uncinata, were discovered thanks to the trade in ornamental plants on social media, where collectors shared unusual specimens. According to BRIN researcher Muhammad Rifqi Hariri, digital platforms now serve as a starting point for identifying potential new species.
New plant are regularly discovered across BRICS+ countries, reflecting ongoing global efforts to document biodiversity.
Researchers from the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Nature Conservation at the University of Chile have identified four previously unknown bulbous plant species in central Chile, according to El Ciudadano, a partner of TV BRICS. The new species – Miersia nahuelbutensis, Miersia subandina, Gilliesia reflexa, and Gilliesia taguataguensis – belong to genera closely related to garlic and onion and were discovered over a period of around six years through extensive fieldwork and morphological comparison. The plants are characterised by unique floral structures and highly restricted distributions, with most found exclusively in the O’Higgins Region and one species present in Biobio and La Araucania, typically growing on Andean slopes, in sclerophyllous forests and coastal ravines, highlighting the rich but fragile biodiversity of central Chile.