Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

Wild flower attracts tourists to Ooty

— Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

Citisis flowers in bloom along the Hobart road near Udhagamandalam.

Udhagamandalam: ‘Irksome but enjoyable’. This was how some of the tourists described their entry into Udhagamandalam after being forced to take a circuitous route via the Hobart road on account of the inordinate delay in repairing the main road.

Speaking to The Hindu they said that being diverted via a long and winding alternative road which was dusty and riddled with ruts and pot holes wasn’t something they had looked forward to.

“It tested our patience but we did not mind the inconvenience thanks to the opportunity we got to see plants which are not seen in the plains,” they said and added that road side bushes with bright yellow flowers helped break the monotony of their journey.

The flowers called Citisis are now in full bloom not only along the Hobart road but also in various parts of the Nilgiris. Gregarious flowering of the of the wild plant can been seen on many of the hills in the middle part of the Blue Mountains.

Horticulture officials said that the plants which were also referred to as brooms belonged to an invasive variety and considered to be harmful to the natural sholas. The Citisis also smothered other plants.

However, the flowers which bloomed during Summer were very attractive. Referred to as Kothi Keerai over the years, the plant is now better known as ’Kothagiri chedi’. It will not thrive in the plains.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Ooty students getting ready to attend space camp in the U.S.
‘No sign of illegal quarrying activity’
Wild flower attracts tourists to Ooty

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu