Now, Kurinji blossoms on your table

K.S. Sudhi
The Hindu,
Feb 03, 2011

KOCHI: Kurinji flowers of various hues are to blossom on your tabletops round the year.
The managers of the Eravikulam National Park have come up with a Kurinji tabletop calendar this year showcasing 12 rare species of the plant variety.
The name Kurinji evokes images of gregarious blossoming of the Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) in Rajamala and adjoining areas. Though much has been written and discussed about Neelakurinji, there are a few lesser known Strobilanthes species in the shola grassland and other forest ecosystems of the State.
It was the flowering period of 12 years of Neelakurinji that prompted a large number of visitors to undertake long and tiresome journeys from faraway places to Eravikulam to catch a glimpse of the flowers in 2006. But there are some other species which take longer periods for flowering. Strobilanthes zenkerianus is one such Kurinji species which takes around 18 years to flower.
While the Neelakurinji is a shrub, the homotropus species is a tree which can grow up to a size of 20 feet. It is also known as mara kurinji in local parlance. The barbatus species is another tree belonging to the Strobilanthes genus.
One of the specialities of the 2006 flowering was that besides Neelakurinji, a few more Kurinji species also bloomed simultaneously, which was a rare occurrence, said A.K. Pradeepkumar, a wildlife photographer, who had extensively photographed the species.
The Forest authorities have used the photographs of Mr. Pradeepkumar for bringing out the calendar. The photos of the table calendar are the results of long hours of trekking through the difficult terrain and forest lands and it took eight months for photographing 16 Kurinji species, said Mr. Pradeepkumar.
 

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Neelakurinjis are not alone

K. S. Sudhi
KOCHI, June 25, 2012

Taxonomic studies to be conducted

It is estimated that there are 46 varieties of kurinji in the south Western Ghats region.

KOCHI: The world of Kurinjis (Strobilanthes) of the south Western Ghats will open up in much more detail soon. The Forest Department is all set to conduct detailed taxonomic studies on these plants.

After the expansive blooming of Neelakurinjis in 2006, nearly 20 other varieties recently bloomed together at the Eravikulam National Park and adjoining areas.

The department has completed a preliminary study on a few of them. It is estimated that there are 46 varieties in the south Western Ghats region.

The flowering interval of Neelakurinji is 12 years. The government had decided to form the Kurinjimala Sanctuary covering about 32 sq.km of the core habitat of the plant species during the last flowering season.

The department plans to promote research on Kurinji plants, says K.P. Ouseph, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife).

Kurinji varieties that flowered recently have been identified by researchers as neoasper, lawsonii, andersonii, foliosis, grazilus and so on, says M.P. Sanjayan, Forester.

The flowering rotation of a large number of Kurinji plants remains unknown. It is believed that the flowering rotation of lawsonii is 24 years. But neoasper, luridus and andersonii flower once in a decade and pulniensis in seven years.

Much is not known about varieties other than Neelakurinji. A detailed taxonomic study of them needs to be conducted, says A.P. Sunil Babu, Wildlife Warden of the Eravikulam National Park.

Most Kurunjis are found at an altitude of above 5000 ft as part of the shola grassland ecosystem. While Neelakurunji is found on the grasslands, others are mostly found inside, or on the fringes of, the sholas.

Foliosis has an affinity for areas near streams. Grazilus, locally known as Marakurunji, is the tallest variety and can grow up to a height of four metres. This variety flowers once in a decade.

Only 10 per cent of the seeds of the variety germinate and live on and it requires massive flowering and bearing of seeds for the species to survive, Mr. Sanjayan says.

Most of the Kurunjis have flowers of lilac shades. But pulniensis bears white flowers, he says.

 

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