A new plant species discovered in the Attappady hills has been named after the Kurumba tribal community, as an acknowledgment of the role played by the community in conserving the fragile environmental equilibrium of the region.
The latest issue of the international life sciences journal Taiwania has recognised the naming and the new plant will be known as Gentiana Kurumbae . Belonging to the Gentianaceae family, this plant grows only in the grasslands of Cherukolmala in Attappady, located more than 6,000 ft above sea level.
Community members have assisted researchers during their study between 2008 and 2014 in identifying the plant.
The plant was identified by P.S. Udayan of Sreekrishna College, Guruvayur, along with K.M. Prabhukumar of the Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Salai Plant Systematic and Genetic Resources Division, and K.A. Anilkumar, field officer at the Spices Board. — Special Correspondent
