Paper Title
DIVING INTO DIVERSITY: UNRAVELING THE ENIGMATIC WORLD OF STROBILANTHESIN THE WESTERN GHATS OF INDIA AND ITS UNIQUE ECOLOGICAL TRAITS

Abstract
Abstract - Strobilanthes belongs to the family Acanthaceae and consists of about 450 species. The genus is represented by approximately 150 species in India, of which 70 species have been reported in the Western Ghats. These are shrubs or small trees, with most of the species growing in remote areas within forest interiors, making them inaccessible to researchers. Most of these species are indicators, meaning they indicate specific microclimatic conditions. Therefore, species diversity represents habitat diversity as well. They are one of the major producers (animals and insects eat their leaves) in the shola and grassland ecosystems of the Western Ghats and play a pivotal role in ecosystem maintenance and regulation. They exhibit a plietesial/monocarpic life history strategy, wherein a population of a species flowers after the completion of its vegetative growth, which may range from 8 to 16 years (for example, 12 years for Nilakurinji, Strobilantheskunthiana). This is followed by fruit set, seed dispersal, and the death of the parent plants. Therefore, any disturbances may negatively affect pollination and fruit set, which, in turn, may impact the existence of such populations. Consequently, conducting a comprehensive study of all the species in this genus poses a challenge to botanists. There have been no systematic studies of the ‘Western GhatsStrobilanthes’ since the 19th century. Botanists and taxonomists in the 20th and 21st centuries have mostly reproduced what was done in the 19th century in one way or another. Hence, a comprehensive study of this genus would not only reveal its original species richness but also highlight the magnitude of habitat diversity in the Western Ghats. Nilgiris is one of the major epicenters of Strobilanthes in the Western Ghats, with approximately 22 reported species. Most of them are endemic to Nilgiris. Several species, such as S. lanata, S. homotropa, S. perrottetiana, S. zenkeriana, S. cuspidata, S. benthamii, S. urceolaris, etc., have been reported from the high-elevated habitats of Nilgiris. However, currently, most of these species are considered relics. For example, S. homotropa was luxuriant on Doddabeta during 2010-11; however, at present, more than 90% of the population density has been lost. As a result, the existence of this population after the next flowering remains uncertain. In addition to S. homotropa, species such as S. cuspidata, S. benthamii, S. urceolaris, and S. zenkeriana need conservation efforts. Similarly, most populations of Strobilanthes in the Western Ghats are under threat.