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Quick scan: two new Ophiorrhiza species and Neelakurinji bloom
వార్తల్లో ఎందుకు?
Why does Neelakurinji flower once in 12 years? The Western Ghats shola plant for GS3 Biodiversity
Two new Ophiorrhiza species found in Arunachal; Neelakurinji blooms at Meeshapulimala.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 నిమి
Botanical surveys in the Vijoynagar area of Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh have identified two new plant species, Ophiorrhiza shidiensis and Ophiorrhiza pemae.
Separately, Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is in bloom on the slopes of Meeshapulimala in the Munnar region of Kerala.
Neelakurinji is a Western Ghats shola-grassland plant famed for flowering together at long intervals.
మూలాలు: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ముఖ్య వాస్తవాలు
Remember these
- Two new plant species, Ophiorrhiza shidiensis and Ophiorrhiza pemae, were identified in the Vijoynagar area of Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh.
- Ophiorrhiza is a genus of the coffee family (Rubiaceae).
- Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is blooming on the slopes of Meeshapulimala in the Munnar region of Kerala.
- Neelakurinji is endemic to the Western Ghats shola-grassland ecosystem and flowers gregariously at long intervals, about once in 12 years.
- The Western Ghats is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's biodiversity hotspots.
ప్రిలిమ్స్ · మెయిన్స్
How the exam will ask it
ప్రిలిమ్స్
- Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is a shrub of the Western Ghats shola-grassland ecosystem that flowers gregariously at long intervals of about 12 years.
- The Western Ghats is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Arunachal Pradesh lies in the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, where new plant species are still being described.
- Ophiorrhiza is a plant genus belonging to the coffee family, Rubiaceae.
మెయిన్స్
GS3 (Environment and Biodiversity): new species from Arunachal Pradesh and the Neelakurinji bloom show how rich, and how fragile, India's hotspots are. Taxonomic surveys and legal protection of shola-grassland habitats are the provisions that matter here, and tourism pressure, invasive species and climate change are the implications. The way forward is continued botanical documentation, regulated bloom tourism and habitat restoration, with local communities involved.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Which country holds the presidency of the G20 in 2026?
- Brazil
- United States
- South Africa
- Indonesia
సమాధానం చూడండి
సమాధానం: B — The correct answer is the United States, which is hosting the foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta and the leaders' summit in Miami. Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa held the presidency in 2022, 2024 and 2025 respectively.
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