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On a pleasant day, an unforeseen yet fascinating news story took social media by storm, attracting tourists to the elevated regions of Kerala's spice garden. The serene slopes of Idukki, adorned with a blue bushy blanket of small purple flowers, provided a delightful visual treat for any nature enthusiast.
It was indeed an uncommon scenic moment on the slopes of Idukki, yet there was a quiet uncertainty about what these flowers were. Known for the Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), the area also harboured another stunning lilac bloom, thriving unnoticed in these foothills. These blossoms, referred to locally as Mettukurinji (Strobilanthes sessilis), are just as significant and distinctive as the neelakurinji, leaving both local residents and tourists in awe.
Being endemic to Western Ghats, Mettukurinji (also called Topli karvy) belongs to the Acanthaceae family, with 450 species native to wet tropical biomes of Asia and Madagascar.
India is the hotspot for the highest diversity of Strobilanthes accommodating over 160 species of which 72 are endemic to Sahyadris. Their enchanting compact flowers in different tinctures of purple, lavender and blue offers explicit view to tourists.
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. However, as experts have noted, the absence of leaf stalks, the arrangement of flowers (characterised by spikes where flowers are closely attached to the stem with long hairs between the leaf base and stem) and the positioning of petals (as flaring petals) are what differentiate these two closely related plants. They bloom over approximately three months, adorning the lush green hills of Idukki.
There are three varieties of Strobilanthes sessilis residing in Sahyadri belt: Strobilanthes sessilis var. sessilis, Strobilanthes sessilis var. sessiloides and Strobilanthes sessilis var. ritchiei.
Another differentiating characteristic is their mass blooming strategy. Thriving in the steepest cliffs and plateaus, mettukurinji is confined to the periphery of the northern side of the Western Ghats, 800 metres above sea level. They flower every seven years, whereas the neelakurinji blossoms in the shola grasslands of southern Western Ghats every 14 years at an elevation of 1000 m.
There are a lot of mysterious conspiracies lurking behind this flower propagation. Delving deeper into the perspectives on mass flowering in the Strobilanthes genus reveals a series of scientific hypotheses. Key conclusions tied to their monocarpy (the trait of flowering once and then dying) include their unpredictability, sensitivity to rainfall and heat and synchronisation with the lifecycle of mutualists such as pollinators.
They have extremely delicate flowers, so sensitive that during one season, they withered due to heavy downpour in Eravikulam National Park, disappointing millions of tourists. This is enough to foresee the dangers climate change poses to these species.
Frequent landslides and floods are threatening grasslands and will inevitably deplete this plant. Twitching of flower bunches by visitors is another contributing factor of their disappearance from the landscape.
Their vital role in preserving landscape integrity is essential. The root system of Strobilanthes consists of a straight root with side branches that penetrate soil layers. This plays a significant role in maintaining the stability of hilly terrains.
These species offer several benefits, including drought tolerance, nutrient storage, improved soil aggregation, and prevention of soil erosion with extensive topsoil coverage during rainfall. Now, envision the chaos and irreversible ecological damage to montane terrains if they were lost!
The intricate constitutional contrast of their leaves and internal makeups aid in their crude nature in drug standardisation. Leaves of this species are toxic and unfit for human consumption, as suggested by scientific studies. Despite this fact, local Adivasi communities with their bountiful knowledge on traditional knowledge, they use S sessilis for inflammatory disorders.
Already extraction of anti-inflammatory oils from roots as well as flowering tips with antifungal properties were a matter of discussion in the field of pharmacology. Also there were studies conducted on their antifungal abilities and this proved how their time immemorial use from tribal groups is valid.
In addition, a biologically significant flavouring agent known as endo fenchyl acetate was extracted, which is expected to become a major commercially valuable product in the cosmetics industry in the near future. Based on these findings, bioprospecting spectral research of this variety can highlight their importance beyond ecological roles.
Further detailed studies on these groups will undoubtedly lay the foundation for their conservation, integrating their medicinal properties. As climate change contributing to biodiversity loss is a current hot topic, this same reason also applies to the survival of this rare flower.
With the alarming grip of climate change disrupting natural cycles such as flowering, it is crucial to efficiently study high-altitude floral groups, particularly in terms of pollination. The demand for tea and softwood plantations, urbanisation and the invasion of exotic species like eucalyptus are some human-induced factors threatening their survival.
As this group primarily relies on insect pollinators like honey bees, climate change impacts both the plants and their pollinators in these high-altitude regions.
With each passing day, rising temperatures are forcing plant species to move higher up their native elevation gradients, causing their pollinators to die off due to ecological asynchrony. Unusual precipitation combined with increasing temperatures is disrupting flowering patterns, including frequency and seasonal timing.
Despite all these efforts, scientists primarily focused on mapping the neelakurinji, unintentionally neglecting its close relative. It is crucial to deepen our understanding of this rare plant and promote its conservation before it disappears from sight. More studies on the ecology, phenology, seasonality, and distribution patterns of the mettukurinji are needed to enhance conservation efforts.
Neelakurinji gained the conservation attention it deserved when the IUCN officially classified it as a ‘threatened’ species. It was remarkable to see it recognised as the first ever Global Red List statistic, emphasising its significance as a flagship species of the montane ecosystem.
The delay in this recognition was due to the intricate procedures required to study its biology and population, coupled with ecological challenges and its rare blooming pattern. This delay was not due to undervaluation but rather because it did not meet the IUCN Criteria of Vulnerability. This situation highlights the need to update current biodiversity evaluation protocols to enhance protection and implement effective management strategies.
The main reason for the undervaluation of mettukurinji is their limited ecological knowledge and various other potential factors, highlighting the urgent need to address the survival status of such elusive species. Recently, mettukurinji gained attention on social media where clear distinctions between these twins were made, raising concerns about the local understanding of taxonomic studies.
There is often significant misinterpretation of these seemingly indistinguishable yet ecologically vital flowering plants, which must be addressed for better biodiversity conservation and management strategies.
Amritha Jaiprekash Kurup is an independent insect conservationist and researcher. Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.