Balsams in full bloom add to visual treat in Munnar
- September 27, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Balsams in full bloom add to visual treat in Munnar
Subject :Geography
Section: Places in news
Context:
- Balsams (genus Impatiens) are in full bloom in Munnar. Called Kasithumba and Onappovu locally, its small, pink flowers are a major attraction along the Devikulam stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway.
Balsams:
- Balsams are also known as ‘touch-me-not’ because of the bursting of mature seeds and seed distribution.
- Of the 220 balsam species in India, 135 are found in the southern Western Ghats.
- More than 30 species of balsams in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
- 46 balsam species spread from Munnar, Chinnar, Bison Valley and Eravikulam National Park.
- Anamudi, the highest mountain in the Western Ghats, and the surrounding high ranges are known for the diversity of wild balsams.
Humid habitats:
- The normal life cycle of balsams is from June to December.
- The plant mainly grows inside pockets of forest areas.
- With the loss of specific habitats, many species have become rare, threatened, or even extinct.
- This fleshy orophytic herb usually prefers humid habitats and completes the life cycle in the rainy season.
- Balsams are a major indicator species of climate change.
- The large-scale flowering of balsams indicates that microclimate is still active in the Munnar hill station.
Source: TH