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In
the genus Strobilanthes, belonging to the family Acanthacea, there
are 40 odd Strobilanthes known as Kurinji in the local language
Malayalam. Among the species, most of which are endemic to the
southern ranges of the Western Ghats, about 18 species have been
reported from the
Eravikulam
National Park
and
Anamudi
Shola
National Park
. And of these, the species - Strobilanthes kunthianus
popularly known in local parlance, as Neelakkurinji is a
phenomenal plant, which is truly a natural wonder. The species of Strobilanthes
kunthianus has over the years become legendary due to its
unique pattern of flowering that is once in twelve years.
Most
of the Strobilanthes species grow at an altitude above 1500 mts
above seas level, and have a flowering cycle of 8 to 12 years. It
is a bushy shrub, exclusive to the southern montane wet grasslands
and ecotones of shola forests (Montane wet temperate forest). The
plant is smaller and bushy in the grasslands. But the ones found
in the ecotones, attain a height of 2 mts. There are species like Strobilanthes
ciliatus and Strobilanthes wightianus with annual
flowering pattern, and are usually found in lower altitudes (below
1500 mts). From the point of view of Ayurveda, the species Strobilanthes
ciliatus, locally known as Karimkurinji is of
significance as it is used in medicinal preparation.
The
plant originally described by Mr. Nees, a European botanist in
1832, and published in Plantae Asiaticae Rariores by Mr. Nathaniel
Wallich under a different genus Phlepophyllum and named it
as Phlebophyllum kunthianum. Later another Europen
botanist, Mr. Robert Wight, following his exploration of the flora
of erstwhile
British India
, mentioned this species in his Icones Plantarum Indiae Orientalis
under the same name. The name again underwent change when Mr. T.
Anderson and Mr. George Bentham of
UK
, placed it under the genus Strobilanthes as per the laws
of International code of Botanical Nomenclature.
The
mass flowering of Neelakkurinji, the once-in-twelve-year
phenomenon is significant not only to its immediate environment,
but also to the local community, especially the Muthuvans,
the tribal community in the Munnar region. The Muthuvans
consider the flowering of the Neelakkurinji as an
auspicious event. There are many stories, songs and poems about Kurinji
in Malayalam and Tamil languages. |
