Me Sahyadri November 2016 A

As the economic development has taken the center stage, the balance between the environmental sustenance and socio economic development will be under the scanner. As most experts with balanced views have proclaimed, Indian wildlife and ecological system sustenance will be under threat, unless precautions are taken with the help of appropriate research and long term national interests. As we encounter the economic development, many habitats which indirectly or directly help sustainable development will be damaged. The awareness to gauge the success by sustainable development and not by year to year growth is a distant dream any environmentalist will assume in current scenario.
Western ghats, or Sahyadri as we all call it as, is a treasure trove of spectacular landscapes, biodiversity, flora, fauna, some amazing geological wonders and man made monuments. With the increasing pressure from human encroachment, all these elements are under stress and in turn are under depletion. Western ghats should be left untouched by human beings, to protect their future generations from getting short of resources, such as water, energy and clean air. The important elements of western ghats, which need protection are highlighted in the new version of Photo journal, Me Sahyadri Magazine. The current issue has few of the flora from the north Western Ghats.

Senecio bombayensis is called as Sonki in Marathi. It is a gregarious plant of western ghats which mass flowers in later period of monsoon season in September. It is seen on hill slopes on north western ghats and is endemic species. The flowers are golden yellow with 10 to 15 petals, with a dark golden yellow disks.

Pogostemon decannensis is a small aquatic herb seen in small shallow water puddles. These plants are gregarious and its flowers bloom in large numbers. The flowers are purple in colour. The plant attracts the pollinators due to its scent. These plants can be seen in small puddles on basalt plateaus, giving a feel of a flower pots in post monsoon season. These plants are called as Jambhali Manjiri in Marathi.

This is an endemic species of Smithia seen in western ghats. The flowers are purple with white dots. The plants are pollinated by the insects. These terrestrial plants are seen in open on basalt soil at altitude. These plants are called as Barka in Marathi.

Ceropegia plants are very rare, endemic and critically endangered plants. In India total 58 species of Ceropegia are found. Out of 58 species, 35 species are found in western ghats. It is crtically endangered species seen in the small region of north western ghats, around Junnar. It is endemic species of north western ghats mountains around Junnar.. Endemic means restricted to a region and not found outside the region. Apart from the showiness of visual features, flowers of many plants use floral scent, fragrance to attract their pollinators. These flowers are like advertisement boards of these plants. These advertisements attract the pollinators. Pollinators get attracted towards the flower due to the fragrance. The pollinators feel that there is a food that is giving out the scent. But often the pollinators are cheated. There is actually no food. The fragrance is created chemically by the plants to cheat the insects. Many ceropegia species does the same. Ceropegia has a sophisticated pitfall flowers. Various species of Ceropegia are pollinated by small flies which are trapped inside the flowers for a limited time period. During this trap time, the plant deposit or take up pollinaria/pollinia from or to flies. The fly pollinators of Ceropegia belong to diverse families, but, typically, only species of a specific families interact with a single species of Ceropegia. ). The flowers mimic nectar, rotting plant material, male sex pheromones, animal related odors, leading to pollinating flies being attracted for food. So these plants mimic the food source of the flies. Once attracted to enter the tubers of the flowers, the flies help the pollination. The habitat destruction caused through anthropogenic activities and over exploitation of edible and medicinal tubers by local people, constrained small localized and dwindling populations of C. rollae have caused the species to be on the brink of extinction.

Pinda concanensis is a plant seen at higher elevations in monsoon in western ghats. The plant has white flowers. The plant is seen on grasslands at higher elevations. The plant is heavily exploited for the medicinal values of the oil extracted from its seeds. The exploitation of the plant is rising posing serious threat to its existance

Utricularia plants are commonly called as bladderwort plants.The important part of any bladderwort plant is beneath the surface of soil. The prominent flowering stem can be seen above the ground. This plant has long branching network of stems beneath the surface. The small bladder traps and leaves are attached to these stems. The word utricularia is derived from latin word utriculus. It means a small wine bottle. This small bag or a bladder has a opening which is sealed. The bladder has external secrations to attract the small organisms. The bladder or a small bag has tiny hair like structures, which act as a trigger to open the seals of the bladder. If the trigger is actuated, the small bladders are filled with water as the seals of the bladder are opened. With the water small organisms such as protozoa enter the bladder. This is a process which happenes in a split second. Once inside the prey is dissolved due to digestive enzymes secreted by the plant. The water is slowly pumped out of the bladder, creating the vacuum inside. Inspite of vacuum the bladder does not collapse. The water is pumped out by osmosis process, through the thin membranes of the bladder. Once the pumping stops due to osmosis, the seals open. As the seals open, the water enters inside due to the vacuum generated. This process continues in cycles. It is said that these plants have the most sofisticated trapping mechanism amongst all the carnivorous plants.