Kurinji Flower

In the Western Ghats, at an altitude of about 1600 metres, in the region of shoals and grasslands, the Kurinji flourishes as a gregarious shrub. From the High ranges to the Sahyadhri Mountains, different varieties of the Kurinji flourish in valleys, in slopes and in gorges. All of them have a periodicity from eight to 12 years. After blossoming, the plant wilts. Though most of the varieties are blue, there are some yellow varieties too. Geographers refer to the ranges south of the Palghat Gap as the Palni ranges and those to the north as the Nilgiris. In the Palni ranges, in Mattupatti and Gundumalai around Munnar, the Kurunji grows in abundance. In the area around Anaimudi also the plant thrives. © Mallikarjuna.D.G. The Kurinji found in the Palni and the Nilgiri ranges has been christened Strobulanthus kuntianum. Around the Nilgiris, this flower is called Nilakurinji and is abundant in the Mukurthi sanctuary. When it is in bloom, the honey gathered from the beehives in the vicinity was valued highly. © Mallikarjuna.D.G. The Kurinji has become a symbol for the bio-diversity of the Western Ghats, which has been declared one of the 18 “Hotspots” of the world. Viewed 3343 Times | Comments (0)

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