NEELAKURINJI (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The depleting Mettukurinji of the Western Ghats faces inadequate conservation efforts, highlighting a troubling resemblance in the challenges to its preservation.

Neelakurinji

• About: It is a shrub of the Acanthaceae family that famously blooms once every 12 years.
• These blossoms, referred to locally as Mettukurinji (Strobilanthes sessilis).
• Geographical Range: It is endemic to the Western Ghats, covering the slopes of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

o Regional Distribution: The Topli Karvy is found more in the northern section of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra.

• Scientific Name: Strobilanthes kunthiana.
• Related Species: The Topli Karvy (Strobilanthes sessilis), the Karvy (Strobilanthes callosa), and the Kurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) all belong to the Strobilanthes genus.
• Nilgiri Hills: They are seen mostly on the Nilgiri hills, which even got its name from the flowers — ‘neela’, meaning blue, and ‘kurinji’, referring to the flowers.
• Diversity in India: India is the hotspot for the highest diversity of Strobilanthes, accommodating over 160 species, of which 72 are endemic to the Sahyadris. 
• Similarity Strobilanthes sessilis is a ravishing impression of Strobilanthes kunthiana (Neelakurinji) with perplexingly similar floral hues as well as morphology. Both these species are identical to the naked eye.

Ecological Benefits

• These species offer several benefits, including drought tolerance, nutrient storage, improved soil aggregation, and prevention of soil erosion with extensive topsoil coverage during rainfall. 
• The loss of these plants could lead to chaos and irreversible ecological damage to montane terrains.