GS 3 – Environment
Context
The NGT has taken suo motu cognisance of the IUCN’s recent listing of Neelakurinji as Vulnerable, noting that no state has proposed its protection under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Plant Profile
- Common Names:
- Kurinji in Tamil and Malayalam
- Gurige in Kannada
- Botanical Traits:
- Shrub growing 30 cm to 3 metres
- Monocarpic: Each plant blooms once in its lifetime, then dies
- Regenerates only via seeds
Habitat & Distribution
- Endemic to: Western Ghats — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka
- Elevation Range: Typically 1,300–2,400 metres, but BSI reports sightings at 1,100 m
- Found most abundantly in the Silent Valley National Park (Kerala)
Blooming Pattern
- Blooms in mass cycles every 12 years, typically August–October
- Responsible for naming the Nilgiri Hills (“Blue Mountains”) due to its purplish hue
Threats to Survival
- Habitat loss from tourism, climate change, and plantations
- Fragmented distribution now limited to small, isolated patches
Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List (2024): Listed as Vulnerable under Criteria A2c