Strobilanthes: A GIS Approach on Iconic Flowering of the Nilgiris, Western Ghats, India

The article provides the data on distribution of Strobilanthes in the Nilgiris of Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. Strobilanthes is large group of gregarious blooming, and the flowering periodicity is noted only for the best known south Indian species, Strobilanthes kunthiana of a particular site (the Nilgiris) from 1838 to current year, while the data remain dormant for other species. To determine the flowering periodicity of species, a regular visit is required to the specific site. On reviewing the herbarium data sheet and other pertinent publications, the data revealed with only sporadic flowerings. Hence, an applied technology of Geographic Information System (GIS) approach is vital to enhance the real-time visualization of species distribution from location obtained during botanical expedition. The present study initiated with recording 12 species among which 10 species are endemic to Western Ghats. Geodatabase on each species has been developed to assess the distribution pattern. A map on elevation gradient was created with five categories between 216 and 732 m, 732 and 1199 m, 1199 and 1664 m, 1664 and 2043 m and 2043 and 2633 m among which major species, namely S. amabilis, S. barbatus, S. foliosa, S. pulneyensis and S. wightianus, are distributed between 2043 and 2633 m. It reveals the diversity of species requires favourable physiographic elements for survival and speciation. Further, the study on phenology resulted with best flowering month as November and non flowering month as April for all 12 species of Strobilanthes. Most substantially, this research could contribute as future repository for assessing the diversity and distribution of a species.