News Excerpt:

Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), the purplish flowering shrub known for blooming once every 12 years, has officially been added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.

• This marks the first global assessment for this iconic species of the montane grasslands in southwest India.

More detail about News

• The recent global evaluation has confirmed its status as a Vulnerable species under Criteria A2c of the IUCN.
• The flower's mass blooming in the Western Ghats is a significant tourist draw, with a recent, though limited, bloom reported in Peerumade, Idukki.

About Neelakurinji

• The Neelakurinji, or Strobilanthes spp., is a unique purplish flowering shrub that blooms once every 12 years, transforming the hills of the Western Ghats and the Himalayan regions into a breathtaking blue landscape.
• This rare event attracts tourists, botanists, and nature lovers from around the world.
• The genus Strobilanthes, to which Neelakurinji belongs, includes about 450 species, with India hosting the highest diversity.
• In addition to its ornamental beauty, Neelakurinji is an underutilized plant with significant medicinal potential.
• It contains unique active compounds that exhibit anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoarthritic, analgesic, and antioxidant properties.
• The Western Ghats are a hotspot for this genus, with several species endemic to the region. The blooming of Neelakurinji is not just a natural wonder but also an integral part of India's ecological heritage.
• Neelakurinji is an endemic shrub reaching up to three meters in height, found exclusively in the high-altitude shola grassland ecosystems across five mountain regions in southwest India at elevations between 1,340 and 2,600 meters.

Threats to the Species

• The primary threats to Neelakurinji stem from the fragile nature of its montane high-altitude grassland habitat, which is under constant pressure from conversion to tea and softwood plantations, urbanization, and the invasion of exotic species like eucalyptus and black wattle.
• Additionally, infrastructure development, afforestation projects, and climate change further endanger the species, leading to its classification as Vulnerable A2c.