Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Neelakurinji - generation next

Roy Mathew

SEED DISPERSAL: The drying neelakurinji plants virtually toss their seeds in summer months as the pods dry up and explode mildly.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The next generation of neelakurinji plants (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is ready to sprout in a few months time.

The seeds have matured in thousands of kurinji plants on the grasslands of Eravikulam National Park, Kurinjimala Sanctuary and neighbouring regions and are getting dispersed across the hills.

The purplish blue flowers of neelakurinji bloomed gregariously from April to October last year.

From the budding stage, it takes about ten months for the seeds to mature. They start drying up within weeks of the flowering, but will not wither until the seeds are dispersed.

The drying plants virtually toss their seeds in summer months as the pods dry up and explode mildly. The plants are now in the last stage of seed dispersal. The Forest Department has been successful in keeping the area free of fire during this period.

The plant employs the evolutionary technique of predator saturation to ensure the survival of its seeds. The massive flowering, once in 12 years, produces millions of seeds. Though predators such as jungle fowl will congregate on kurinji lands to eat the seeds, they will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of seeds.

Though the seeds will germinate during the monsoon, the plants will hardly be seen above the grass for a few years. They will gather nutrition for years to come. The growth will become faster on the 12th year before the grand flowering.

The massive flowering of neelakurinji had attracted nearly ten lakh people to Munnar and other places last year.

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