Context:

After eight years, the kurinji flower (Strobilanthes sessilis) has bloomed again in Gudalur, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu — a newly notified reserve forest.

UPSC Relevance:

Environment

UPSC PYQ:

Q. Recently, our scientists have discovered a new and distinct species of banana plant which attains a height of about 11 meters and has orange coloured fruit pulp. In which part of India has it been discovered? (2016)

(a) Andaman Islands
(b) Anaimalai Forests
(c) Maikala Hills 
(d) Tropical rain forests of northeast

Neelakurinji Flower:

The scientific name of the Neelakurinji is named after the Kunthi River in Kerala’s Silent Valley National Park where it is abundantly found.

• Strobilanthes kunthiana (Nees) T. Anderson ex Benth locally known as Neelakurinji is an endemic to Western Ghat, India and belongs to the Acanthaceae family.
• It has a unique flowering pattern to bloom every 12 years. 
• Origin: The origin of this species is Asia. It is native mostly to tropical Asia and Madagascar, but it extends to north temperate regions of Asia.
• Habitat: is an endemic undershrub that grows above 1800 m in the sholas of the Western Ghats. Plants which bloom like Neelakurinji, i.e., at long intervals are called plietesials.
• Distribution: It is endemic to Western Ghats, India (Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu)

Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), the purplish flowering shrub, which blooms once in 12 years, has been included on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) official Red List of threatened species. 

Tamil Nadu’s ‘Paliyan’ tribe used the Neelakurinji flowers to calculate age.

Context:

The Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes), a species found in India and Pakistan, is likely to be classified as a new distinct species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Its population is critically low — only about 3,000 individuals remain — and it has been listed as “Vulnerable” under the IUCN Red List.

UPSC Relevance:

Species in news(Environment)

UPSC PYQ:

Consider the following statements: 

1. Lions do not have a particular breeding season.
2. Unlike most other big cats, cheetahs do not roar.
3. Unlike male lions, male leopards do not proclaim their territory by scent marking.

Which of the statements given above are correct? [UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2024 Prelims]

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

Indian Wolf:

Threats:

• Semi-arid grasslands and scrublands are being destroyed by renewable energy projects, highways, and agriculture. Example: Adani Solar Farm engulfing wolf den sites in Kutch.
• Wolves are often poisoned or shot for preying on livestock. Recent cases in Bahraich (U.P.) led to retaliatory killings.
• Overgrazing and land degradation reduce small herbivore populations (blackbuck, chinkara).
• The species inhabits non-forest ecosystems, which receive less conservation priority compared to forests and tigers.

IUCN Reassessment and Its Importance:

• The downgrading to “Vulnerable” (from “Least Concern”) may not be negative — it helps draw international attention and funding.
• The IUCN species reclassification can catalyze:
• Better habitat management in semi-arid regions.
• National policy formulation for open ecosystems.
• Enhanced monitoring and research on species distribution and behavior.