Kurinji flowers bloom again in MunnarAfter a gap of 12 years, KURINJI flowers have once again started blooming on the declivity of Munnar hills, Marayoor and Eravikulan National Park. Kurinji flower is an endemic species in South India growing in western ghats especially in Munnar Hills. It does not grow in any part of the world. Though there are about 50 varieties of Kurinji, blue coloured variety alone would bloom once in 12 years, environmentalists said and added that some plants had started flowering in October 2005 itself. But 2006 is the peak season.
Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is a shrub that used to grow abundantly in the shola grasslands of Western Ghats in India. The Nilgiris, which literally means the blue mountains, got its name from the purplish blue flowers of Neelakurinji that blossoms gregariously once in 12 years. Once they used to cover the entire Nilgiris like a carpet during its flowering season. However, now plantations and dwellings occupy much of their habitat. Neelakurinji is the best known of a genus that has flowering cycles ranging from one to 16 years. It belongs to the family of Acanthaceae. The genus has around 300 species, of which at least 46 occur in India. Besides the Western Ghats, Neelakurinji is seen in the Shevroys in the Eastern Ghats. It occurs at an altitude of 1800 to 2400 metres. The plant is usually 30 to 60 cms high on the hills. They can, however, grow well beyond 180 cm under congenial conditions. Plants that bloom at long intervals like kurinji are called plietesials.
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