Why In News?

Forest officials in Kerala have raised alarms over the large-scale trampling, uprooting, and destruction of blooming Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) plants by crowds of unregulated tourists.

What is Neelakurinji?

  • Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is an endemic, monocarpic shrub native to montane grasslands.

  • It belongs to the family Acanthaceae and exhibits synchronous mass flowering once every 12 years.

  • The purplish-blue blossom blankets hillsides, historically giving the Nilgiri Hills their designation as the "Blue Mountains".

  • The species thrives exclusively at elevations between 1,300 and 2,400 meters on exposed, mist-laden slopes.

Botanical And Ecological Adaptations

  • Plietesial Growth Cycle: The plant grows vegetatively for 12 years, blooms simultaneously, produces seeds, and undergoes mass die-back.

  • Mast Seeding Strategy: Synchronized blooming satiates seed predators and secures optimal seedling survival.

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  • Keystone Floral Resource: The blossom supports native pollinators, particularly the Asiatic honeybee (Apis cerana) and giant bee (Apis dorsata).

  • Indigenous Ecological Marker: Indigenous communities like the Toda and Muthuvan historically track human age and seasonal events by kurinji flowering cycles.

Plietesial Species vs Regular Perennial Plants

  • Plietesial Plants: Grow vegetatively across multi-year cycles before undergoing a single, synchronized mass flowering event and dying (monocarpic).

  • Regular Perennial Plants: Flower and regenerate repeatedly across successive annual seasons without undergoing systemic plant mortality.

Challenges In Kurinji Conservation

Invasive Exotic Tree Expansion: Fast-growing exotics alter montane grassland hydrology and displace native vegetation.

  • Example: Eravikulam National Park Vegetation Survey, black wattle (Acacia mearnsii) and eucalyptus plantations degraded over 40% of natural grassland cover.

Severe Habitat Fragmentation: Commercial land conversions break contiguous grassland corridors into isolated patches.

  • Example: Kurinji Sanctuary Boundary Assessment, commercial tea estates and tourism construction fragmented vital montane micro-habitats.

Unregulated Ecotourism Pressure: Heavy footfall during flowering seasons causes severe soil compaction and seedling trampling.

  • Example: Nilgiri Biosphere Ecotourism Audit, high tourist footfall destroyed unsprouted seed beds along high-altitude trekking trails.

Conservation Status

  • IUCN Status: Vulnerable under criteria A2c (indicating a population size reduction).

  • Wildlife Protection Act: Listed under Schedule III of India's Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

    • Penalties: Uprooting, destroying, possessing, or cultivating the plant attracts a fine of ₹25,000 and up to three years of imprisonment.

Source: THEHINDU

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q1. With reference to the plant species Strobilanthes kunthiana (Neelakurinji), consider the following statements:

  1. It is a plietesial shrub that exhibits synchronous mass flowering at an interval of approximately 12 years.

  2. It is endemic to the high-altitude Shola-grassland ecosystems of the Western Ghats.

  3. Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, uprooting or damaging Neelakurinji plants is non-punishable since it is an invasive grass species.

Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Strobilanthes kunthiana is a plietesial (monocarpic) shrub that grows vegetatively for roughly 12 years before blooming synchronously, setting seed, and dying.

Statement 2 is correct: The species is endemic to the Shola-grassland montane landscapes of the Western Ghats (Nilgiri Hills, Palani Hills, and Anamalai Hills) above 1,500 metres.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Neelakurinji is a native, protected plant listed under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Section 17A explicitly prohibits its uprooting, collection, or damage, carrying statutory criminal penalties under Section 51.